


Outcast, Outnumbered

by Dogkeeperno6



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Demon Hanzo Shimada, Demon-Hunter Jesse McCree, Genji Shimada is Very Dead, M/M, Null Sector, Second Omnic Crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-06-26 09:43:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 59,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15660669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dogkeeperno6/pseuds/Dogkeeperno6
Summary: Hanzo Shimada is a social outcast with two big secrets. One: that he had killed his brother, and two: that he had killed his brother because he had been transformed into an oni. Forced to flee his home in Hanamura, he retreats to the small town of Kazamaura, feeling inexplicably drawn to the place. He manages to live there in solitude for ten years until a major rise in demon "accidents" causes Japan's citizens to become paranoid. The Shimada family and their pawns assemble teams of demon-hunters in an effort to curb the oni population and endear themselves even more to the public. Hanzo loathes most of the demon-hunters he comes across, but doesn't mind a particular few. Some might even say he finds a certain one irritatingly charming.





	1. Persimmons and Cabbages

**Author's Note:**

> \- Age and timeline interactions are a bit wonky - All of the characters are their canonical ages, but this story takes place at the beginnings of the Second Omnic Crisis.  
> \- Genji Shimada was killed by his brother Hanzo and was *not* revived by Dr. Angela Ziegler.  
> \- Even though Hanzo is a demon, his appearance is a bit different than the official Blizzard skin - His normal tattoos have been replaced by those from his Kabuki skin, along with his clothes.  
> \- Overwatch has not fallen/will not fall; therefore Gabriel Reyes never begins his transformation into Reaper.  
> \- Gabe is McCree's foster dad.

Aomori prefecture: famous for its scallops, apples, and demons.

Hanzo Shimada had become accustomed to his rote daily routine. But it was unusual for an oni such as himself to be able to live an uneventful existence in a single place for ten years; this was only made possible by Hanzo's uncanny ability to hide in plain sight. Since earth-dwelling oni (known to humankind as demons) were created from those people who commited the worst atrocities imaginable, they were seen as no better than Enma-Ō himself. Naturally, with demons came demon hunters, fierce warriors keen on sending all oni they encountered to the place they rightfully belonged. The only thing that had kept Hanzo alive was his sharp mind; he understood that the simple citizens of Kazamaura would be more trusting of a visitor than a stranger. So, every once in a while, he put on a show of dressing up and heading down to the small street market. It was a necessity, but an annoyance nonetheless. Hanzo's superhuman senses were over-stimulated by the cacophony of smells, noises and bright colors that assaulted him whenever he reached the town's edge. He wanted nothing they sold, but made a show of touring the various booths anyway; since his transformation years ago, Hanzo had no desire for material things. His fingers brushed over fine silks without a single thought crossing his mind, his stomach quiet despite the incredible smells. The only things he purchased were small quantities of food, fruits and vegetables fresh from the fields - when he ate, he made sure it was worth it. 

On this day, he spotted a familiar stand with an entire crate of bright orange persimmons. The fruit had a paper-thin peel that made transporting it difficult, so the extra care needed to handle it drove up the price. But e couldn't resist the chance to take home such a treat and thus quietly approached the vendor. He bowed slightly to the young girl, a skinny thing with chocolate brown hair who couldn't have been over twenty. 

She greeted him in Korean with a warm smile. "Hiya, Kenta. You're as formal as ever, I see."

Hanzo straightened up, not even blinking at the use of the alias he had made for himself. "Of course, Hana - One must respect such beauty."

She rolled her eyes at him but decided to take the compliment. Gesturing to the goods in front of her, she questioned, "What can I get you from the faraway land of Seoul today?" 

Hanzo enjoyed the rapport the two of them had established; it made the chaos of the market bearable. So he always made sure to treat Hana as well as he could. "Something from beyond Aomori. I'd like the crate of persimmons, please."

She looked at him like he'd just asked for her entire booth. "The whole crate?" 

Hanzo could see why his friend might be taken aback - the thing was about a foot and a half on every side, and probably carried close to fifty of the fruits. He snorted, not annoyed by the question. "Indeed, unless some lucky person bought them before I did."

Hana shook her head. "No no, it's just a lot of fruit. You're weird, old man. Are you sure you can even carry it all?"

"Yes Hana," Hanzo sighed, "I am sure." She was about to speak but he cut in, smiling at her. "Don't even think about giving me a discount."

The young merchant rolled her eyes again. "Alrighty, if you insist. They're 600 yen a pound, I'll get the scale."

She bent down to produce her scale from beneath the table as Hanzo picked up the crate of persimmons. "I swear, if it wasn't for you I'm not sure if I could pay for the parts of this first MEKA," she muttered, partly to herself. 

Hanzo placed the fruit down onto the scale. "I am more than happy to help pay for your expenses to be part of Seoul's military effort, Ms. Song. It is admirable that a girl as young as yourself would volunteer to fight for her country, especially after the way you were laughed at."

Hana flicked her hair back over her shoulder. "Yeah, well, someone has to do it - And my parents are too old to be on the front lines." She stared into space, pursing her lips. "I owe it to them."

Hanzo produced his wallet, eyeing the scale. He pulled out the appropriate bills in lieu of responding to Hana, totalling 8,000 yen, and hoped that the young eyes before him wouldn't notice the extra money. "Thank you for the persimmons, Hana." He handed her the money and picked up his new prize in one fluid motion before giving her another small bow. He didn't wait for her response before he began walking away, Hana's eyes cast downward as she counted her earnings. 

By the time she looked up, Hanzo was already amongst a crowd of people far from her stand and all she could do was shout at him. "Kenta, you jerk! You can't keep tipping me, I'm not a waitress!

Hanzo chuckled to himself, the slightest grin on his lips. But it didn’t last long, as his sharp eyes landed on a small group of men in the market. He glanced at the logo on their clothes identifying them as demon hunters, a bright red skull with horns and a fiery top, and pulled the wide brim of his sun hat lower, suddenly very aware of the horns it hid. He averted his eyes, trying to look as inconspicuous as a man in a red and white kyudo-gi could. He was almost past the crowd when he heard one of the hunters make a comment that stood out from the chatter. 

"Oi, mate - Lookit that pretty 'lil sheila. I know what fruit of hers I want to eat!" The words were slurred and thick with an accent (almost making it difficult to recognize as English) but the innuendo was what made Hanzo glance over his shoulder. The offender was a lanky, too-thin man with blond hair and horrendously bushy eyebrows seated on a wide bench. He had his elbow in his companion's side - The other was a hulking brute wearing a traditional Japanese mask and ragtag armor.

"Imma go talk to her, be right back!" The small blond man started to hobble off, the end of a prosthetic peg-leg just visible beneath tacky samurai pants. Hanzo watched him walk and clenched his jaw when he saw that the crass foreigner was headed straight for Hana. Hanzo watched helplessly, knowing that he couldn't afford to cause a scene. Thankfully he could make out the conversation the two were having even from far away. 

Hana's standard greeting reached Hanzo’s ears first: "Hiya, what would you like today?"

The scrawny demon hunter propped his elbow on the table's surface, seemingly ignoring her question. "Hey girlie. The name's Jamie. How much for you?" 

The disgust on Hana's otherwise kind face was visible to Hanzo as she wrinkled her nose and responded in perfect English: "Sorry, I have standards... and no, you don't meet them." 

Jamie stumbled back dramatically, clutching his heart to his chest. "Oi, love, that was harsh!" He crossed his arms, pouting. "Gosh, do you really prefer some damn crops over a man?" He kicked one of Hana's displays with his metal foot. Poor Hana couldn’t even finish opening her mouth to chide him before a stack of cabbages came crashing down, cracking them.

She gaped at the mess for a moment before screaming "MY CABBAGES!" Hanzo watched as she turned to Jamie, and couldn’t help but smile when she slapped him. The heads of a few passers-by turned at the loud noise, but no one interfered. 

Hanzo heard a noise not unlike a sigh next to him as the quiet brute rose from his seat to join his compatriot. It appeared that the big one was the peacemaker of the bunch, as he managed to keep his friend and Hana from tearing each other to pieces. He pulled the two apart and lifted Jamie off of the ground by the back of his shirt as if the small man weighed nothing. He thundered back over to the bench, placed his angry Australian friend down, and returned to Hana. He paid for the damages, the wooden mask hiding any emotions that might have passed over his face as the flustered girl yelled at him. Hana was quite mad about the cabbages, but Hanzo understood, given her job; that produce was her lifeblood. Thankfully, Hana could take care of the situation herself, which meant that Hanzo could turn away and start to leave the market. Before he even began the real walk home, he had already scarfed down three of the persimmons, leaving a mess of peels in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanzo took his time walking back to the forest where he lived. It was about 250 acres large, and far enough away from Kazamaura that no one bothered to chop down the trees for lumber. To do so would have been a crime; some of the evergreens were estimated to be 4,000 years old. Hanzo could only hope to reach a comparable age - people wanted his kind around a lot less than they wanted pretty yakusugi trees. Hanzo had even named one such tree. He called it Kenta, for its impressive height and thick trunk. Its moniker had become his alias to help him feel a bit more connected to nature and less like the supernatural thing he had become. In October, the tree maintained only a fraction of its splendor; its green needles were nothing compared to the beautiful pink blooms that erupted from its branches in the spring.

Being the weird old man that he was, Hanzo had decided to build his home inside the tree. He loathed calling it a "treehouse", however - It was bigger than any child's fort ( a not-so-grand 900 square feet) and he actually lived in it. The space was maximized by an open floor plan and a distinct lack of stuff - Hanzo could list in his mind everything that he owned, a feat unimaginable even to many poorer citizens. Among his favorite possessions were his fine Storm Bow, pheasant arrows, and the engraved wooden case and quiver that held them. They were the only things he had taken with him when he had fled his former home. For a while, he had been torn on whether to use them or preserve them - They were relics that reminded him of his life's goal, but he also wanted to make sure that his skills didn't get rusty. Archery was almost meditative for the Shimada, bringing Hanzo as close to being calm as a demon could get.

 

* * *

 

He practiced every day without fail, his hands flying as they followed the routine. Undo the clamps on the wooden case; remove the quiver and fill it with a dozen arrows; unstrap his precious Storm Bow and carefully pull it away from its velvet pillow. Then came half an hour of meditation proper, with his bow and arrows in his lap. Hanzo sat with his legs crossed, his hands on his knees, and his back as straight as a board. Closing his eyes, he became aware of every twitch, pulse, and breath in his body. He focused on extending his diaphragm as much as he could, and then exhaling until his powerful lungs were empty. His mind wandered, as usual, but by redirecting his attention he could tear himself away from reliving painful memories. When Hanzo felt as if he could sleep at last, he knew he was ready to begin his practice for the day. Rising in one fluid motion, Hanzo slung his bow and quiver over his back. He crossed the small main room and unbolted the lock to the main door. Stepping outside, he observed the ropes he had strung between adjacent trees. Hanzo had created quite a network in the ten years that he had lived here, all inconspicuous enough that no one would notice unless for some reason they decided to scrutinize the tree canopy. But even in all their splendor, the yakusugi trees were ignored by those who paid no heed to the world around them - So Hanzo and the home he had made amongst Kenta's branches had gone unnoticed.

The demon stepped out on to a thick rope with ease, his muscles flexing to help him keep his balance. The twine bowed under his weight, but he was confident that it could support him; he had stolen it from a shipyard long ago, on his arrival to Kazamaura. As soon as he felt the solid wood of the tree stand beneath his feet, Hanzo removed his prized bow from his back and carefully pulled an arrow from the quiver. His eyes darted from left to right as he nocked the arrow, searching for any signs of movement on the forest floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a pheasant pecking around in the bushes, its red wattle and comb giving it away. Without hesitating, Hanzo drew the bowstring, pulling his hand up to his cheek and staring down the arrow’s shaft. Aiming for the bird’s head, he exhaled and fired, his shot landing squarely in the pheasant’s eye - it let out a shrill cry before it fell over and went limp. Smirking ever so slightly, Hanzo jumped off of the tree stand with ease and landed quietly on the earth six stories below. Striding over to where the pheasant fell, he bent down to pull the obsidian head of his arrow from the very-dead target. Thankfully it didn’t snap, so he was able to return it to his quiver after carefully wiping the blood from the tip. Then came the tedious process of removing the bird’s feathers to use for his arrow fletchings. One by one, he plucked each feather from the skin, his strength making it easy for him to complete the task in good time (he had also had quite a bit of practice).

Stuffing the colorful feathers into his pockets, Hanzo unceremoniously picked up the pheasant carcass by one leg, curling his lip at the unpleasant smell. He began the walk away from his treehouse towards town, where the forest thinned out and more predators could be found (likely hoping to scavenge any garbage left behind). He knew that going out of his way to discard the bird’s carcass was necessary, as a featherless dead bird was a (dead) giveaway of intelligent life living closeby. A few miles was probably far enough, but Hanzo was always cautious - He never left any of his kills within a ten mile radius of his home. He enjoyed the excuse to exercise, as it helped to pass the time on days that were otherwise too long.

Today’s kill ended up buried beneath a large bush in a thinner area of the forest. Hanzo hoped, as always, that it would be gobbled up before it drew attention. He couldn’t help but worry about it on the way home, his pace quicker and his footfalls louder than normal; perhaps that was why he drew his bow when he heard a rustling coming from the thicket where his home was located. He inhaled quietly, all senses kicking into hyperdrive. He warily approached the location where Kenta grew, the noise growing louder. He saw a brown form that he couldn’t distinguish - A bear? He hoped not. When he recognized it as a human being, Hanzo let out a small sigh; then came an undignified snort as he realized that he had been scared of a stranger’s ass.

The body part in question was clad in thick, brown, canvas pants, but promptly disappeared when Hanzo made noise. It was replaced by the figure of a tall man clad in black and brown clothes, who towered a good five inches over Hanzo.

The startled figure lifted an honest-to-god cowboy hat off of his head and placed it over his chest in greeting. “Howdy, stranger - What are you doin’ in these parts? Shootin’ men?”

Hanzo, realizing he had not lowered his bow, made a show of slinging it over his back. “I was just hunting,” he calmly explained. “With no luck, sadly.” He cocked his head at the foreigner. “What brings you here?”

Jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Hanzo’s flower garden behind him, the stranger cheerily replied with “Smelling the roses.” He laughed at the shorter man’s disbelieving look. “I swear, I go on walks all the time when I’m on break.”

“So you are a demon hunter?” Hanzo instantly regrets the words once they have escaped his lips.

“Yeah, I guess ya could say that. I have a… bit of a debt I’d like to repay.” He waved his metal prosthetic around, as if thinking that Hanzo could have missed it.

Hanzo couldn't help but smile at the motion. "I noticed."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, the demon-hunter sized him up. "Can I ask you your name, bowman? You stand out quite a bit from the crowd.”

"My name is Kenta." Hanzo extended his hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I'm McCree, Jesse McCree. Nice to meetcha." Jesse took Hanzo's hand in his own real one and gave it a firm shake. Hanzo was very careful to only follow the motions; it would not be wise to break a demon-hunter's hand. He was snapped out of his concentration when he heard Jesse's voice again. "Somethin' interestin' about my hand?"

Hanzo jerked his head upward and released his hand from the other man's. "No, sorry. You just have a firm grip."

"Well thanks for the compliment," the demon-hunter laughed. The action was uncharacteristic of his kind. "I got it from years of handlin' a gun, I guess." He affectionately patted the revolver at his hip. "I've had my Peacekeeper since I was just a boy," he added.

"I do not like guns. They are noisy and unruly."

"Maybe you should give new things a try, darlin’."

Hanzo was still unsure if the Western drawl was authentic. But at the very least the man put on a good show. "I find comfort in familiarity." Regardless, this “Jesse” got on his nerves. He was loud, uncivilized, and asked too many questions.

The demon-hunter nodded. "I get that. Just a suggestion." He placed his hat back on his head, and looked at Hanzo. "Well, see ya around."

"Yes, see you around," Hanzo replied mechanically. But he hoped that we would never have to see that cowboy hat, cape, or boots ever again. It would not be good for his heart - Not if he grew attracted to the man and certainly not if the demon-hunter put a bullet through it.


	3. Blood and Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place about a week after the last. Hanzo has stumbled across McCree on a few occasions in the meantime, but has tried (with little success) to avoid him.

Nights of the new moon were amongst Hanzo's favorite - They were bathed in darkness, and many would find the quiet unsettling. But for demons it was a welcome break from the cacophony of noise and too-bright colors. These were the times that Hanzo enjoyed using his powers to confront and terrify Mayor Yoshitake. He hated relating himself to Robin Hood, but it was the closest term to describe what he was doing. He was stealing from the rich and (anonymously) giving to the poor. 

First came the walk: It was fifteen miles to reach the mayor's estate on the edge of the town, but it took Hanzo under an hour walking at a leisurely pace. Even more elusive than usual, Hanzo stuck to back alleys and unused streets - during the new moon, he had no shadow, which was even more of a sore thumb than his usual attire and a definite sign that he wasn't human. Hanzo could not afford to cross paths with anyone else, let alone a demon-hunter who would put a bullet through his head at first sight. 

As usual, he arrived at the Yoshitake residence a bit before one in the morning. He hid in the bushes, slowing his breathing as he scouted out his target. Eight guards were visible to his sharp eyes: Two guarding the main door, one at the garage to their left. One in each of the four windows that faced the driveway, likely as many in the back, and then the lone guard that stood at the door of the study inside. Making a note of their positions, he carefully crept around back as he skirted the exposed grounds. Once he found decent cover in a small grove of trees in the backyard among the livestock farms, Hanzo crawled up amongst the branches. He put down the satchel he was carrying, and began to focus on changing his form. Closing his eyes, he mentally dug around for the constant noise that made its home in the innermost recesses of his mind. Once he found the familiar chaotic energy, Hanzo felt it overwhelm him. It was all too eager to quickly flow into every part of his body, making the demon's heart race and his head pound. 

Then the physical changes began to manifest themselves as his human persona disappeared. One by one, Hanzo felt scales painfully protrude through the skin on the soles of his feet. Grimacing, he observed his hands as the same process left him with razor sharp talons and scales in varying shades of gray and brown up to his elbows. Less painful was the long armored tail that grew from behind him, some magic from his curse that he couldn't quite understand. Hanzo's horns were always present, but now they matched the rest of his horrifying form.

Then he jumped down from his hiding place, eager to get started. Bounding over to the fence of one of the animal enclosures, Hanzo raised his arm. With inhuman force he brought it down on the wooden poles, a loud crack sounding out as he easily split them. Still not seeing what was left inside, Hanzo picked up a nearby boulder and hurled it into the back of the paddock. It hit a young tree, toppling it over and sending a loud crash. A herd of stallions came galloping out, their hooves pounding the ground. Unintimidated, Hanzo stood still and watched in quiet admiration as the frightened animals ran past him, their eyes wide and their nostrils flaring. Hopefully, they would be better appreciated by the lucky citizens who found them; their coats would be restored to their original luster and bodies would be thick with muscle instead of fat. Hanzo repeated this process until pigs, chickens, and sheep were all running amuck and fleeing into the forest. Only after they had all disappeared into the night did the assault on the mansion begin. 

Eyeing the big, exorbitant thing with a master eye, Hanzo noticed a particularly dark spot amongst the wood. Since shou sugi ban houses were given their distinctive near-black color by charring the boards, the attacker knew that this piece had been too burnt. Chuckling to himself at how cheap the rich man was, Hanzo skirted the building until he could go no further without risking detection. The guards were on high alert after noticing the escaping animals and toppled trees and were waving their guns around at any noise. Four were outside investigating the disturbance, a few too many to take on without raising the alarm - So Hanzo had to be patient for a bit longer. Searching around in the dirt, the cunning demon found a smooth rock about the same size and shape as his fist. He pulled back his arm and took aim at the guard furthest from him, as if he was casually preparing to throw a baseball. The rock flew from his hand as he uncurled his arm, gaining speed until it was travelling as fast as a cannonball. When it collided with the back or the unlucky man's neck, the victim only had the chance to open his mouth in pain before the rock snapped his spine. The paralyzed figure crumpled forward, gun falling to the ground. 

At the sickening crack, the other three guards rushed towards their fallen comrade. The instant their backs were turned, Hanzo rushed towards them. He jumped onto the back of the closest guard, the brown ponytail of the startled woman smacking him in the face as she tried to dislodge her attacker, shouting. The others began shooting at the demon despite his hostage, and bullets from the assault rifles flew everywhere. A well-aimed few caught Hanzo in the shoulder, but any pain he might have felt was drowned out by his adrenaline; most of the projectiles buried themselves in the chest of his human shield, each impact making her shake. Hanzo felt her shudder as her life-force drained from the onslaught. Hanzo picked her up by a foot and swung her like a giant club, the dead body sending the last two guards flying. In just a moment Hanzo was on top of them and pinning them to the ground, one powerful arm on each of their chests. Realizing the vulnerable position they were in, the two men began blabbing and pleading like children at their captor to spare them. 

"Don't kill me, please! I have a family!" 

That earned a glare from the demon; Hanzo directed his attention at the one who dared speak. He dug his sharp claws into the uniform, points pricking into the skin. "This family you speak of... do they know the nature of the people you work for?"

Blue eyes looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean? The Shimada family is an honorable one. They are nothing but -"

"They are CRIMINALS!" Hanzo shouted, his tail smacking against the ground for emphasis. "They are nothing but detrimental to the good of Japan!"

The second one shifted under Hanzo's powerful restraint. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

“You’re nuts, idiot,” the first to speak chimed in.

Hanzo was fed up with the guards. He squeezed hard on their necks, crushing them. “You humans are so predictable,” he said with contempt. Resisting the urge to spit on their corpses, Hanzo reached for one of their rifles and angrily threw it onto the nearest window, smashing the glass. He hastily climbed in, not bothering to clear the window of any remaining shards. The gashes would heal. 

Hanzo looked around and surmised that he was in the kitchen, and a large and ornate one at that - the room was a maze of marble countertops and mahogany cabinets. Hanzo was surprised that the mayor, who spent so much time dining in fine restaurants with coworkers and wealthy supporters, would have such a well-equipped place to prepare food. Striding over to the centermost island, Hanzo reached for the largest knife he could see in a wooden knife-block. His fingers were almost around the handle when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by the distinctive click of a gun safety.

“T-Turn yourself in, scum, and maybe I won’t shoot you right here.” 

Glancing over his shoulder, Hanzo saw another guard, at point blank range, with a rifle to his head. The guard was shaking, the barrel of his gun wobbling in an unsteady hand. 

The demon turned around fully, curling his lip and baring his inhuman teeth. “Weakling.” 

Understanding that the monster before him did not plan on cooperating, the guard fired a burst of bullets. Unfazed, Hanzo ducked down instantaneously, unsheathing and throwing the knife in one fluid motion. The bullets just barely missed him, but the knife hit its target square in the guard’s heart. Hanzo quickly looked the man over to make sure that he was dead, then began to open the drawers and cabinets, grabbing fistfuls of silver cutlery and stuffing them in his pockets and sack. Hanzo then crept to the doorway through which the guard had entered, and after confirming it was clear, quietly made his way down the hall towards an mahogany door with elaborate detailing, almost certainly the study.

He opened the door, but just as he stepped into the room, Hanzo was hit in the head with a heavy wood chair. As he stumbled backwards, his assailant wrenched the bag from his hands and slammed him into a bookshelf. The two locked eyes for a moment, and Hanzo got a good look at the guard - a beast of man, easily a foot and a half taller than Hanzo, and with muscles to match. Holding Hanzo with one hand, the guard threw a punch at Hanzo, his fist smashing into the demon’s left cheek and dislodging a tooth. Hanzo felt blood flow across his tongue, but it only made him smile wickedly. Eyes starting to blur in rage, the demon let out a roar and shoved back, delivering a powerful blow to the guard’s sternum. The guard doubled over in pain, allowing Hanzo to straighten up and rapidly close the distance. He grabbed the man’s hair, pulling his opponent’s head back forcefully with a yank of his powerful arm. Confused, the guard threw another punch, but the demon grabbed his fist with lightning speed. The man screamed as Hanzo clenched his large fist with greater and greater force, until he heard a loud crack and hot blood poured through his fingers. Hanzo let go of the guard’s crushed hand, choosing to instead slash at his exposed throat with long and razor-sharp claws. Hanzo enjoyed the uncommon energy that made his skin crawl. It ebbed and flowed with the speed of combat, only helping the demon overpower his enemies further. His enemy could not even start another scream before his head was violently ripped off of his body, spraying and spilling blood everywhere. Hanzo stood there for a moment, panting and literally seeing red, until he felt a warm wet feeling on his foot. Jumping back in disgust, Hanzo snapped out of his stupor. He took a few deep breaths, trying to suppress the chaotic energy that had built up as he went through the mansion. He moved forward into the study, leaving a trail of blood and destruction in his wake, interested only in what he could shove into his bag next.

The demonic force inside of him and the satchel full of stolen treasure at his waist left Hanzo feeling satisfied. On the way out, he made sure to pull as many vegetables from the garden as he could, carrying them in his muscular arms. He would make quite a few delicious meals with them (more than what the mayor would do) in the safety and security of his tree house.


	4. By the Skin of his Teeth

Hanzo counted his blessings that no demon hunters had been present on the night of the heist; they had obviously been stationed in all the wrong places. It said something about the mayor's personality that he had not increased the guard at his house ever since the last robbery, but Hanzo was not surprised - the Mayor had not been elected for his intelligence. 

Regardless, it was good that Hanzo had laid low for a few days. As per usual, the market was full of angry demon hunters, their presence like another strong smell layered upon the rest. Even Hana seemed out of it, her hair wound around her finger and her foot nervously tapping against the ground. She didn't even notice the demon before her until he let out a small cough.

“Ah! Kenta! I haven't seen you for a few days, how are you?”

“I am well” Hanzo responded smoothly. “However, you seem on edge. What is troubling you?”

“A demon.” Hanzo could not help but flinch at the word. “It attacked the Mayor's house - all of his livestock are gone! That thing probably ate them.” Her face shifted into a scowl, and while she never said her friend’s name, he felt attacked. He didn’t meet Hana’s gaze when he spoke again:

“Well, that is certainly frightening. But you of all people will be very well protected from demons.” 

Hana shifted her weight unconsciously; the foot tapping stopped momentarily. “Why me specifically?” 

Hanzo returned his gaze to the worried girl. “Well, soon you will have an armored mech like none other on the planet. I doubt even a demon could break through such a construct.” He bit his tongue at the white lie - it was all for the better. 

Hana pouted. “I guess. But I don’t even have the exoskeleton done yet, let alone the guns or the armor.”

Hanzo was glad to hear that Hana was closer than he had originally thought. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a small envelope. “Well, here is a good luck charm for you.” He reached out and opened Hana’s hand, placing her present in the middle of her palm and curling her fingers around it. She didn’t even protest, instead voicing a small “thank you” and giving Hanzo a quick hug. Hanzo tensed at the motion, but quickly returned it. 

Hana found her voice after a moment. “Be careful, okay?” She slipped the envelope into her pocket. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Hanzo nodded. “Don’t worry, I will not let anything hurt me.”

“Good, otherwise I would be very mad,” Hana chirped. That made the demon laugh. He bade her farewell and continued his stroll. 

The center of town was less crowded, the usual crowds of people absent from the streets. Those who were present all wore similar expressions as Hana - Unique faces tense with worry, eyes darting side to side and lips set in a grim line. He saw two of the demon-hunters amongst the crowd of people, the same Australian and his friend that had bothered Hana. For once the grin on the shorter man’s face had disappeared, replaced with a scowl. The pair were surrounded by a crowd of about two dozen citizens. Hanzo focused his hearing towards the group, wanting to hear the information being announced.

“Oi, listen up, ya cluckies! As many of ya tall poppies have so astutely noticed, the Mayor’s mansion was robbed by some hoon last night. Fuckin’ dipstick even stole his vedgies…” He paused a moment to allow for the concerned chatter to die down before continuing, his peg-leg bouncing impatiently. “Now, now, I know this has happened a lot recently, but we’ve got an important piece of evidence that puts us one step closer to puttin’ that drongo in a divvy van!” He chose to continue his monologue as noise erupted once more when his large companion held up a massive curved tooth. “If ya blind bats in the back can’t see, this wicked beaut doesn’t fit a set of human chompers, which narrows our search down quite a bit… to an oni.”

Hanzo’s eyes widened in shock and a flurry of curses flew from his mouth. He was only barely able to restrain himself from placing his cheek on his hand where he had been hit. The rest of the announcement was drowned out as Hanzo debated the best way to proceed, not hearing the man walk up behind him.

“Pretty scary stuff, huh?”

Hanzo's head snapped around to take in the intimidating form of demon-hunter Jesse McCree, the same one who had come dangerously close to discovering Hanzo's home amongst the trees only days ago. The man spoke casually, as if he was simply discussing the weather. McCree had the same cowboy attire and aloof stance, one hand hooked around his belt and the other holding a cigar. 

The oni-in-disguise snorted. "It was just surprising," he quipped. 

The cowboy flicked the ashes from his cigar and narrowed his eyes. "Right. I'll just pretend I didn't see ya shakin' in yer fancy clothes then."

"I was not afraid," Hanzo growled. "I can fell a demon with my bow - I have no reason to be frightened."

McCree let out a harsh laugh at Hanzo's expense. "Sure." He took another drag on his cigar, sizing up the shorter but muscular man before him. "Yer a strange fella. Mind if I ask ya a few questions?" 

The shorter man bristled. "If you must." Hanzo folded his arms, bracing himself for his interrogation.

McCree crushed his cigar under his heeled boot, all business. "Good, I'd hate to cause a scene." He mimicked Hanzo's stance. "You were out in the woods when we met for the first time. Do ya live close by?"

Hanzo figured he should include a kernel of truth in his answers. "Yes, I live on the edge of town."

"On your own?"

"No..." An image of Hana came to mind, all smiles. "My daughter lives with me."

"How old is she?"

"Nineteen."

"Does she have any other parents?"

"No," Hanzo snapped. "I adopted her on my own." It was a probable enough story. 

An unknown emotion flickered in the man's eyes. "Interesting. Must be hard to make ends meet."

"We do alright."

"What do you do to support yourselves?"

"I hunt and my daughter helps me grow produce to sell."

McCree gestured to Hanzo's clothes. "You seem well off for farmers."

Hanzo could not help but snarl at the suspicion directed his way. "I use my inheritance to help support us." He made a point of tapping his foot impatiently. "Any other questions, Mr. McCree?"

"Only a few." McCree cleared his throat. "Where were you when the boss' house was ransacked on the 18th?"

"I was at home with my daughter."

"Doin' what?"

"Cleaning vegetables for the market."

"Ah, yeah. Fall is a good time for farmers."

"Yes."

"Are you aware of what an oni might look like?"

"Yes. Inhumanely muscular and tall, slitted eyes, horns, and various markings."

"Good. Glad to hear ya can spot one in their true form at least. When they're trying to disguise themselves it's a lot harder, but there are usually still signs." 

That last comment definitely felt directed at Hanzo. "I am aware," he growled.

"Well, that will be all then." The cowboy hat tipped down in farewell. "Sorry to bother you, Kenta." With a dramatic turn of his heel and swish of his cape, McCree was gone. 

Hanzo let out an audible sigh of relief, eager to return home. However he only made it a couple if steps before he saw the skinny Australian hobbling towards him; the demon inwardly groaned at his luck.

"Heya, mate! Looks like you were getting interrogated over 'ere by Jesse, eh?"

Hanzo shot him a withering look, but the other demon-hunter didn't take the hint. "Oh don't worry, he's not that bad; the bloke always acts like he has a stick up his arse when he's on the job," the blonde cackled. "Probably something to do with his arm."

Hanzo gestured to the man before him. "But you are missing and arm and a leg as well; are those injuries also demon-related?"

"Oh, these?" The man struck a pose, sticking his right leg and left arm out dramatically. "The leg I lost when a demon blew up a gas station. The story of how I lost me arm is a bit more embarrassing." 

Hanzo dipped his head. "I apologize," he said somberly. "I did not mean to pry, mister....?"

"Fawkes, Jamison Fawkes!" He stuck out his right hand in greeting. "The big bloke on the bench over there is me ol' cobber, Mako." 

Hanzo shook Jamison's hand gently. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Kenta."

"Fitting name for such a pretty boy!" Jamison winked, nudging the shorter man in the ribs. "Shame I don't swing that way!" He let out a cackle louder than the rest at Hanzo's scowl.

Hanzo pointedly cleared his throat. "As nice it has been to speak to you, Mr. Fawkes, I must take my leave. I do not like to be out of my house for very long, especially with the recent attack."

Jamison took the hint. "Roight, I'll see ya around, mate! Keep yer head down and yer eyes sharp." He gave Hanzo a friendly wave before hurrying back to his friend to talk about the new person he just met. 

Having had enough excitement for one day, Hanzo began the walk back home. He noticed McCree talking to Hana as he neared the entrance, and briefly prayed that he was not bothering her. But he was exhausted from all of the interaction, and therefore did not intervene. He hadn't interacted with and been surrounded by so many people for a very long time, and memories of his childhood unconsciously occupied his thoughts.

Memories of his mother training him with a bow,

Memories of his father training him on how to rule the Shimada family,

Memories of Genji-

Hanzo paused at Kenta's familiar roots, having traveled the several miles without even noticing; the painful thoughts of his brother were what had finally snapped him back to reality. He pushed away the discomfort and scaled the trunk, quickly closing and locking his door in one smooth motion. Collapsing against the cold wood, Hanzo felt his emotions begin to overtake him again, and scales began to prick out of his skin against his will.


	5. Flesh and Metal

* * *

Hanzo woke up to the sound of birds chirping, something that he would have found strange if he was more coherent. He blinked slowly, wondering why the world was upside down and the lights were so bright. It took him several minutes to connect the dots that he was in fact staring at the ceiling and the hard surface he was lying on was the floor. Letting out an annoyed groan, he slowly pulled himself upright. He looked around in a daze for a moment before the realization of the room's condition hit him. Hanzo was in the middle of a room that looked like it had been hit by a tsunami: several of the windows were smashed, and almost every piece of furniture had been upturned. What was most worrisome were the deep gouges that were scattered around the entire house. Each one was anywhere from six inches to a few feet in length, and some were several inches deep. Growling in frustration, Hanzo glanced down at his nails and noticed the wood firmly shoved beneath his cuticles.

“Kuso!" He cursed. These breakdowns were all the evidence Hanzo needed to know that he was still not in control of himself; ten painful years had passed but his emotions were just as potent and his new energy just as destructive as the day he had been cursed. It was shameful, really, for a man in shambles to pretend to be so put together - He wasn't even a real man, anymore. But he would have to deal with his pitiful existence and try to make the best of it, since as miserable as he sometimes was Hanzo would never give himself up.

So he reluctantly rose from the floor and slowly padded over to his dresser, pulling out fresh clothes. He undressed and roughly threw his ripped pajamas aside, annoyed at the waste. Taking more care with the casual shirt and pants he decided on, Hanzo began his daily tea-brewing routine. Crossing the short distance to his meager kitchenette, the oni delicately retrieved the battered copper kettle that he kept in the cupboard above his fridge. Then he grabbed one of the few porcelain mugs he owned from its spot next to the kettle, and a fistful of leaves. As he waited for the water to boil, Hanzo leaned against the countertop and closed his eyes. But calm did not come today, his nerves too rattled for him to focus. Instead the minutes ticked slowly by, the waiting excruciating for Hanzo. Finally, he yanked the tea pot off of the heat, not even waiting for the water to boil before roughly pouring it into the cup, most of it missing. Resisting the urge to smack everything off the table, Hanzo focused instead of very deliberately putting each leaf inside of the tea strainer; it made a satisfying plop as it hit the water in the mug.

Hanzo wrinkled his nose at the imperfect, oversteeped tea when he first brought the cup to his lips, cursing his impatience. This day was already going wonderfully. He briefly debated walking to the market to chat with Hana, but his pride would not let him be seen in such a state. Finishing off his tea with an old Tamagoyaki, Hanzo chose to dedicate the day to archery practice. Grabbing his bow and quiver from their case, Hanzo unlocked the battered door and stepped out into the cool air. He hopped down from the entrance balcony, his feet making no sound on the soft forest floor. Hanzo decided that target practice would be in a different spot today, to keep his skills sharp and the populations even. Choosing a riverbank a few miles away, the archer began the peaceful hike through the familiar terrain.

But when he reached the clearing, Hanzo stopped in his tracks. There was already someone present, seated on a rock by the water. The figure's back and shoulders rose slowly and deliberately with each breath, but that movement seemed wrong contrasted against the shiny metal head that shone in the sunlight.

Warily, Hanzo drew his bow. He tiptoed forward, arrow nocked and string taunt. The Omnic hadn't yet shown any signs that it knew of his presence, but it could turn hostile at any moment.

When he was about fifty yards away, the thing spoke.

“Greetings, oni. It is interesting to see one of your kind hunting with a bow rather than your claws.” The tone of the metallic voice was civil enough, but Hanzo did not like that this machine had immediately been able to discern his nature.

“Who are you and how could you possibly know what I am?” Hanzo snapped.

“I am Tekhartha Zenyatta,” the figure replied coolly. “I sensed your tumultuous energy as you approached and recognized it as something not quite human.”

Hanzo noticed that he avoided the phrase “less than human" that so many others used. “And where did you learn to recognize and differentiate energy?”

The Omnic finally turned to face him, the metal slits for its eyes staring at his own. “I am a monk of the Shambali order, from Nepal.” Hanzo took in the feathered turban, beard, bangles and clothes, evidence of the machine's words - but why it bothered to dress at all was a mystery to him. Zenyatta slowly rose from the rock, the eight blue orbs begin to slowly circle around its neck. “By achieving harmony with the world around me, I can recognize the differences among its residents.”

Hanzo snorted disdainfully. “Of course. Especially since you seem so intent on being human that your whole form has been created to deceive. I bet you would not be so high and mighty if you looked like some of your quadrepedal friends.”

“I did not decide what I would look like,” Zenyatta responded calmly. “Regardless of my form, I strive to achieve balance within myself.” The Omnic tilted its head slowly. “You, on the contrary, seem to be at war with yourself. Why is that so?”

“I did something despicable; this is how I repent for my sins.”

“But you should learn to forgive yourself. There is no action too grave for -”

“You know nothing!” Hanzo felt his anger begin to boil inside of him. “You could never understand what I have done and what I have been through!”

The machine calmly folded its hands in its lap as it floated gently. “Perhaps, but I have my own adversities that I am working to overcome.” It extended a hand to him. “We could grow together.”

Hanzo pointedly crossed his arms. “I will be fine on my own.”

“If you insist. However, if you change your mind you can find me in the temple on Mount Osore.”

“I will not. Farewell.”

“Until we meet again.” The probably-imposter monk dipped its head, turning around and gently floating away, leaving Hanzo on his own. He stood watching the spot where the Omnic had disappeared for several minutes before he left himself.

 

* * *

 

Frazzled and out of it, Hanzo re-grounded himself when his feet brought him to the familiar gate of the village market. But now his body refused to move, and every nerve in his body was screaming at him to turn around and go home. Hanzo had no clue why he had come here, and was about to give in when he made eye contact with Hana, who was in her booth a few dozen yards away.

“Hey, Kenta! You weren't planning on bailing before you said hello, were you?!” Despite the distance her loud voice easily reached his ears, only slightly irked.

He groaned internally. “Of course not, Ms. Song.” He plastered a smile to his face and went to greet her.

Hana looked him up and down when he approached. “You aren't looking so hot,” she observed, her joking demeanor gone. “What's troubling you?”

Hanzo swallowed. “Nothing is troubling me,” he insisted.

“Right, and I'm an idiot who isn't building a robot,” she said flatly. She placed her palms on the table and leaned towards him. “Look, I understand it isn't easy for someone like you to talk about their demons-" Hanzo visibly flinched when she paused, “-but it is a lot easier to get through every day if you tell someone about what's eating you alive.”

“You know this from experience?” The question came out harsher than Hanzo expected, but he was in too foul of a mood to backpedal and apologize.

Hana pulled back and popped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth. “No, actually; I don't air my dirty laundry.”

“Perhaps you should, it will only begin to smell more foul if you do not.”

Hana's lips pulled into a small smile. “I didn't mean that literally, old man - It's a metaphor.”

“I am aware.”

“Ugh, you're the worst,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. “Look, since we're relatively close, maybe we could kind of… share what's bothering us with each other?”

Hanzo bit his lip. “I suppose it cannot hurt,” he conceded, watching her blow a large pink bubble.

Hana popped the bubble with a quick bite. “Cool.” The small girl suddenly seemed vulnerable when she stopped chewing her gum and looked past Hanzo at nothing.

“I'll go first, since I know you're a recluse,” she teased without humor.

“Excuse me, but I am no-"

“Mymomisdead,” she breathed.

“What?”

“My mother, the one who raised me for seventeen years and made sure that I could support myself for these past two once dad and her left, is dead,” Hana repeated. “And he's missing. I just got the letter this past weekend.”

So while Hanzo was cooped up inside having a pity party, this young Korean girl was alone with dead parents. He cursed himself. “I cannot begin to express my apologies, Hana,” Hanzo choked out weakly.

“It's not fair!” She stomped her foot. “They weren't even drafted - they volunteered,” she growled. “And where do they end up but in the ground and M.I.A.!” Her chest heaved as she fought back a sob, throwing herself back into her chair and covering her face.

Hanzo moved around the table and put a gentle hand on her back. Hana didn’t move.

“You are correct - That should not have happened to your parents. They were good people who should have had the chance to go home to their daughter.”

Hana turned her head to look at him with tears in her eyes. “I'm alone now… what am I going to do?”

“Let me tell you,” Hanzo promised, gently tugging at Hana’s hand until she grudgingly rises. He places his other large hand over hers, feeling it shake in his grip. “First, you must complete your M.E.K.A. It is your life's work, and I know that your parents would hate to see it go to waste. Then you can use it to help find your father; to do so without it would be suicide in this war.”

Hana sniffled loudly. “And then?”

“Then you can help humanity beat the Omnics for a second time on your own terms.” He watched quietly as Hana wiped the tears from her eyes and pursed her lips in thought.

“You have a lot of faith in me…”

“It is not misplaced,” Hanzo assured her.

Hana pulled him into a hug. “That's good… thanks,” she said with a squeeze.

Hanzo felt himself bristle at the unfamiliar contact but pushed his discomfort aside. “Of course.”

_____________________________

The two stood there for a few minutes in peaceful silence before they both looked sideways at the sound of jangling spurs.

“Well I'm mighty sorry to interrupt such a touching moment,” McCree drawled as he approached. “You two look like you were sharing somethin’ special.”

Hanzo coughed and quickly pulled away from Hana. “Mr. McCree, what brings you here?”

The demon-hunter tipped his hat at Hana, now looking at him curiously. “Well I was just hoping to see if this pretty little lady could get me somethin’ nice and sweet to eat,” he explained with a wink.

Hana gave him a confused look. “I don't sell any pastries here, sorry.”

“Fruit will work just fine, sweetheart. Carbs go straight to my gut.”

“Ah, I see,” she said with a nod. “My selection isn't great because of the season but I do have some nice persimmons from the farm.”

Hanzo had been watching the pair quietly but thoughtlessly broke in with a rushed “thesepersimmonsarethebest" before he shut his mouth.

McCree gave him an amused look. “Well yer obligated to say that, ain'tcha Kenta?”

“Wait,” Hana cut in, “You two know each other?”

“I had the pleasure of meetin’ yer pa last week. We bonded over our hatred of oni,” McCree chuckled.

Hanzo felt his blood run cold and a bead of sweat form on his lip as the demon-hunter spoke. This man had no idea what trouble he just created.

He felt Hana’s piercing gaze and forced himself to look at her. She narrowed her eyes, a look that Hanzo knew to mean “We’ll talk about this later” and faced McCree again with a smile.

“I can't believe Dad didn't tell me about his new friend!” Hana squealed with excessive cheer, punching Hanzo in the arm hard. “I'm Hana,” she added, sticking out her hand.

“Pleasure to meet ya, I'm Jesse McCree. I work for Mayor Yoshitake.” McCree removed his ratty cowboy hat from his head and firmly shook the girl's smaller hand.

“Ah, so you are a demon hunter,” she concluded.

The cowboy hat was carefully placed back in its usual spot on McCree’s head. “Yep, I won't stop ‘til I find the bastard that took my shootin’ arm,” he vowed.

Hana's eyes widened as she grabbed the metal prosthetic. “A demon did this to you?! That's terrible!”

“Yeah , the drive to find that bastard again is what made me become a demon hunter.”

Hanzo swallowed and watched in silence as McCree lit a cigar and drew a long puff, dramatically blowing a smoke ring before he returned his gaze to Hana. “I'll take six of your persimmons, girly. Then I'll leave you and yer pa in peace.”

“Alright!” She placed the fruit into a bag and handed it over to her customer before pocketing the money. “Thank you, Mr. McCree.”

“Oh please, girly,” McCree waved dismissively, “Just call me Jesse. Even yer pa does.”

Hanzo spluttered and felt the tips of his ears burn. Hana nudged him in the ribs as she waved goodbye to Jesse.

The only words she said as a farewell were shouted at him in her usual manner. “We are going to talk about tall dark and handsome the next time you come back!”


	6. Confessions and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place about a week after the last.

Hanzo felt that the next time him and Hana met should be somewhere different than their normal stomping grounds, so here they stood: at the simple entrance to the village bar, Hana’s mouth agape in excitement.

“O.M.G. I've never been to a bar before!” She squealed happily. “My parents were always too busy to take me.”

Hanzo pulled the flaps covering the entrance aside. “Well, I shall need several drinks to make it through today.”

“Ah, so you're just being selfish,” Hana giggled as she entered. Hanzo just smiled in lieu of a reply.

The bar’s interior was surprisingly contemporary, with hardwood floors, bright lights, and a wall covered by a sheet of cascading water. Hanzo guided Hana to a small table off to the side, a glass circle with plush seats.

She continued to look around in amazement. “Dang, now I see why all of you old men hang out here so often!”

“This is my first time here, Ms. Song,” Hanzo corrected. He pulled out one of the chairs and gestured to it. “What would you like to drink?”

Hana smiled at him innocently as she sat down. “I'm not familiar with the selection yet. I'll have whatever you like.”

“A good choice.” He turned and made his way over to the bartender, easily weaving through the crowd of chatting patrons.

The bartender was a young man who greeted Hanzo charismatically and warmly when he approached. It was a stark contrast to his appearance, however; Hanzo would have expected him to be rather unpleasant. The archer’s critical eye took in the excessive use of makeup, the dramatic eyebrows, the spiked black hair. Hanzo suddenly found himself staring.

“-Sir?”

Hanzo blinked.

“What can I get you?”

“Ah,” Hanzo replied sheepishly. “I'm sorry. You reminded me of someone I know. I will have a bottle of warm sakè and two glasses please.”

The bartender smiled, a gesture that made Hanzo's chest feel too small. “No worries! I'll get the sakè for you right away.” He pulled two glass shots from the wall behind him and quickly filled them. “Who are you here with?”

“My daughter - She just turned of age and I wished to celebrate,” Hanzo happily responded, the lie feeling a little less fake than last time. He cast a glance back at Hana and she tapped her wrist with a scowl, a gesture that he knew to mean ‘What's taking you so long, old man?’.

The bartender gave her a wave. “That's sweet; congrats to her!” He pushed the platter with the bottle and glasses toward Hanzo. “Enjoy! Drink responsibly!” he joked.

Hanzo thanked him and gave a small bow before joining Hana again. He placed the sakè and shot glasses on the table in front of them before sitting down. He curled his hand around his own and watched as Hana inspected hers.

“What is this?” Hana suspiciously asked in Korean, sniffing the unfamiliar small glass.

“It is called sakè,” Hanzo answered smoothly. “It is less strong than most other alcoholic beverages I have tasted. I thought it would be good … for a beginner,” he teased.

“You're the worst,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. She took a tentative sip and wrinkled her nose.

“Well?”

“Hm… It's weird.”

“It is an acquired taste, like all alcohol.” Hanzo downed his own glass in one motion, enjoying the warm feeling of the sakè in his stomach.

“I can't believe you old people like this so much,” she stated in disbelief as she took another sip.

Her words mimicked some he had heard long ago, when he was just a young boy. His brother -

“-Kenta?”

“Yes?”

Hana waggled a finger at him. “See, you're acting all distracted again! Sometimes you zone out for no reason at all.”

“I do not mean to,” Hanzo apologized. “I am merely thinking.”

“Of what secret you're going to tell me?”

Hanzo reached for the bottle. “You caught me,” he announced dramatically.

Hana put her lips to her glass and licked the liquid like a cat. “So what will it be?”

The man was quiet for a moment as he re-filled his glass. He downed it in one gulp before replying.

“Well, I have not told you the truth about me,” he began. “ I am -"

“Don't say you're gay,” Hana chided. “I know that already!”

Hanzo continued, not bothering to respond to Hana. “I am a Shimada.”

His companion nearly dropped her cup at the confession, and most of the patrons turned their heads at her loud shout of “WHAT?!”

“Hush,” Hanzo hissed. “I do not wish for this to be public information."

Hana leaned over the table as she brought her voice down to a whisper. “Wait, I've never heard of a ‘Kenta Shimada’.”

“Have you heard of Hanzo Shimada?”

“Of course,” Hana confirmed. “He disappeared from Hanamura Castle ten years ago. But where's your proof?” Hanzo pulled up the sleeve of the black shirt he had chosen for their get-together, revealing part of the red and brown oriental tattoos that covered both of his biceps. Hana was skeptical. “So you have the same tattoos - That doesn’t mean much.”

“I can draw you a map of the palace from memory,” Hanzo growled. He rolled down his sleeve as he pulled a napkin from the holder on the table, insistent.

Hana pulled her phone from her pocket without a word and placed it on the table.

“Excuse me, Mr. Bartender,” she waved, turning and shouting towards the front of the restaurant. “Can we get a pen?”

“Of course!” The lithe form slipped out from behind the counter and towards Hana. The young man gave a dashing smile as he handed the pretty girl an elegant ballpoint pen. “Are you going to write your number down for me?”

Hanzo cut in before Hana could respond. “I just had my daughter ask so that I could draw her a picture.” He felt a sneaker kick him under the table. “My apologies.”

The bartender deflated visibly. “No worries; please enjoy the rest of your visit,” he replied formally. His sulking figure scuttled back to his station as Hana shot Hanzo a glare.

“What was that about? He was cute!”

“Are we going to continue to with our discussion or would you prefer to ogle the rest of the men in this room?” Hanzo’s words were delivered without malice, but the meaning was still the same.

“Ugh, fine.” Hana pushed the pen towards her friend. “Draw,” she commanded.

So the Shimada scion did just that. He began with the family’s living quarters and worked outwards, recalling daily routines, memories, and landmarks as he went. He was surprised at how easily it all came rushing back - The throne room, the sparring rooms and archery ranges where he trained for hours on end, the numerous board rooms he distinctly remembered from endless council meetings he was forced to sit in on. All things that his brother never had to experience. He felt his hand start to tremble from the great force he was unconsciously exerting on the pen and finally slammed it down on the table as if he would break it if he held it for a second more.

“I am finished,” he stated, re-filling his glass and taking a sip as his eyes bored holes into the napkin-map on the table in front of them.

“I must admit- that was quick,” Hana observed. “But it only means anything if you got it all right.”

“As the family heir I was expected to memorize the layout of the castle. I can assure you that every room that would be known to the public and more are there.”

Hana glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, she tapped away on her phone for a few minutes as Hanzo watched patiently. Then she pulled the napkin towards her and examined the map drawn on it, eyes widening. “Damn, you really did memorize it. Either you're Hanzo Shimada or a very good impersonator - but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt,” she winked.

Hanzo let out an amused snort. “You are taking this rather well.”

Hana’s shot glass was picked up and brought to a pair of plump lips. “Well, I figured you had some things you were hiding,” she reasoned. “It'll take some time to get used to calling you ‘Hanzo’ though.” Hana paused. “And then where did the name ‘Kenta’ come from?”

“It is what I have named the tree where I live.”

“So you live in the forest?”

“Quite literally, yes. I in fact live in the tree that I spoke of.”

“No way!” Hana let out a laugh. “Of course you wouldn't live in a house on the ground in the village like a normal person.”

“I do not like large groups of people,” the recluse explained, taking another sip of sakè. The warm feeling in his stomach was comforting. He remembered why drinking (in moderation) was such a frequent pastime of his when he was younger.

“I've noticed.” Hana downed the rest of her drink in one swig, scowling and choking out her words. “It's still hard to believe, though. You're like, a legend! A stern, no-nonsense, bow-wielding, disappearing legend,” she added.

“You should not judge those who you do not know,” Hanzo scolded. “I did not have the happiest of childhoods.”

His friend’s eyes fell as she took the hint. “Yeah, I'm sorry,” Hana apologized as she placed a hand over Hanzo’s. “I've heard about your brother on the internet. He seemed like a cool guy. A lot of people cared about him.”

Hanzo pulled his hand away and downed the rest of his glass. “He was quite the fiery spirit; always full of energy…” He stood, his chest suddenly hurting.

“I'm sorry - I shouldn't pry.” Hana stood as well, pushing in her chair. “Why don't we call it a day for this time? It must be hard for you to share all of this at once,” she added understandingly.

Hanzo nodded as he placed the money on the table under the half-empty bottle of sakè, adding a generous tip.

“Thank you for understanding,” he finally said as they left and began the walk back to the market to pack up Hana’s cart.

Hana swatted at him playfully. “Of course! It's my job to be your shoulder to cry on.”

“I do not cry,” Hanzo retorted.

“Sure you don't.” Hana agreed as she walked on with a spring in her step. The small girl was giggling even more than normal and seemed to have a permanent smile. Hanzo wasn't sure if he should be worried, but decided against it.

“Hey,” she continued, “didn't that cute bartender look like your brother Genji?”

Hanzo scowled at his feet but knew that Hana would not be so forward if it were not for the sakè. “He did.”

“He was cute,” she repeated.

Hanzo only snorted at that.


	7. Inner Chaos and Inner Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite line of the whole story is in this chapter!  
> A.K.A "Is he a sex god? His name sounds like ‘jizz’."
> 
>    
> Three days have passed between this chapter and the last.

The mention of Genji in his talk with Hana had resurfaced painful memories that Hanzo had done his best to bury. And with thoughts of Genji came the strange Omnic who knew too much about Hanzo for his liking.

His mind kept wandering at inopportune moments: He had broken two of his fine China mugs in the past three days, lost six arrows while hunting, and had gone through yet another breakdown. Perhaps he should seek help; he would never admit it outright, but the archer hated not being in control. The Shambali monk’s words rang in his ears yet again: _“We could grow together… if you change your mind you can find me in the temple by Mount Osore.”_

Eventually, the demon decided that he must “suck it up” (as Hana would say) and meet with Zenyatta. His anger and self-pity would get him nowhere, he knew, but Hanzo had never been one to talk about his problems. However, with his decision came the need to actually travel to Mount Osore, the dormant volcano that was home to one of the few Buddhist temples in the Aomori prefecture - there were not many residents in the area, and even fewer religious ones.

Hanzo gathered necessities for the day trip and stuffed them into his bag, which was then clipped to the quiver slung over his back. He locked up and stepped out on to the balcony once he was ready, the time late enough that the morning chill had almost disappeared. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of the nature surrounding him. When he opened them again, Hanzo noticed a familiar delicate figure walking beneath him. With a mischievous grin he vaulted off of the platform and landed behind Hana, who let out an impressively colorful string of Korean curse words when he poked her.

“Geez, Hanzo - You scared me to death,” Hana scolded, switching back to Japanese as she tried to regain her composure.

“I did not intend to ‘scare you to death’,” he quoted, placing his hand on her slender shoulder. “Just to scare you a bit.”

“Well congrats, you're an o.ver.a.chi.ever,” she emphasized, sticking her tongue out at him. “Where did you come from, anyway?”

“Kenta,” Hanzo explained, gesturing behind him to the thick base of the yakusugi tree.

Hana’s eyes widened as she finally looked upwards. “How did I miss that? How does _anyone_ miss that?”

“You would be surprised what people do not notice. Most are very unaware of their surroundings,” Hanzo reasoned. He frowned when he realized that he sounded just like that stupid Omnic. He chased away the thought before he could compare them further. “Where were you headed, Hana?”

“NowherereallyIwasn’tsnooping,” the guilty girl huffed, pointedly turned around.

“Somehow I feel as if you were searching for me.”

Hana stuck her nose in the air. “ _NO_. Why would I want to find your stupid little treehouse anyway?”

“You mean my elegant and spacious home in a tree,” Hanzo corrected.

“What.ever.,” came the snarky reply. “Did you only come to scare me, old man?”

“No - As a matter of fact I was on my way to Mount Osore.”

“You mean that old volcano where all those weird monks live?”

Hanzo was tempted to correct her that they were not ‘weird monks’ but bit his tongue; he didn't even know why he wanted to say something. “Yes, Hana. I am in fact visiting an Omnic who claims to be a member of the Shambali Order.”

“You're not sure?”

“I am unsure if I should trust him,” Hanzo explained. “But… I feel like I should seek help with fighting my…”

“Inner demons?”

Her suggestion was ironic. “Yes, that is a good way to explain it.”

“Can I come with you? I have nothing better to do today,” Hana begged.

“If you insist. But you better not whine about how boring it is later.” Hanzo somehow felt that bringing a hyper young teenager to a serene and quiet temple might be a bad idea, but he enjoyed the girl's company.

“Yay! I won't - Thank you, Hanzo,” Hana chorused, beaming at him. “Which way are we going?”

Hanzo stopped walking and gave her a dissatisfied glare. “It is reassuring to know that you have no sense of direction,” Hanzo scolded, “and that if you were kidnapped or lost you would be unable to return home.”

Brown eyes looked back at him questioningly. “Why are you suddenly acting like such a worried mother hen, old man?” Hana popped a piece of bubblegum in her mouth before fiddling with the neon-colored wrapper. “It's not like you're my dad or anything, jeez.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes to hide his discomfort. “No, but if you perished one day after getting lost in the forest while picking flowers, I would be very disappointed. Not to mention that I would have to find another walking grocery store,” he added.

“You're the worst,” Hana shot back without malice.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh, this is the _worst_ ,” the girl repeated. She dragged her feet as she sighed dramatically. “How much longer until we get there?”

The pair had only been walking for an hour, so Hanzo could not help but find himself amused at Hana’s annoyance. “We are only about a third of the way there; but let me remind you, Ms. Song, that you promised earlier that you would not whine,” he teased.

“We’re not even halfway there?!”

“That is correct.”

Hana looked like she was about ready to pull her hair out. “Ughhhhhh, I already walked for ages today trying to find your-”

“Elegant and spacious home in a tree,” Hanzo finished, shooting her a meaningful look.

“Right,” Hana agreed, cracking a small smile. She unceremoniously spat out her gum onto the ground at her side, an action that made her friend inwardly cringe in disgust. She cursed as she pulled out the neon-colored pack. “Damn, I’m down to my last piece. Now what will I do to pass the time?”

Hanzo hummed in thought. “Hana, how did you know that I was gay?”

His words were disastrously timed - Hana nearly choked on her gum when he spoke. “What?”

“How did you know that I was gay?” Hana just stared at him incredulously, so Hanzo continued. “That I prefer my groceries delivered to my back door, pick my fruit from the other orchard…”

“What are you talking about?

“My goodness, Ms. Song, I did not think you were this dense,” Hanzo jeered. “I am asking you how you knew that I prefer dick to -”

“STOPPPPPP! I GET IT NOW!” Hana wriggled in disgust. “Geez, pass the bleach, Hanzo!”

She only received a wry smile. “You did not answer my question,” Hanzo persisted.

Hana was silent for a moment as she blew a large pink bubble. “Hanzo, if that’s your big secret, then you’re not very good at hiding them.”

“I guess not,” Hanzo chuckled.

“I think it’s just the way you carry yourself,” Hana continued. “You’re always dressed like you just finished being photographed for a high-end fashion magazine, you have this… relaxed swagger, and most importantly I haven’t seen you with a woman since we met.”

“But what if I just have a cute homemaker hidden away?”

“You don’t have a ring,” the sharp girl pointed out, “And I saw your face when McCree came over to the stand.”

“What did I look like?”

“Like a fool with a crush.”

“No,” Hanzo spluttered. “Why would I like him?”

“I can’t answer that,” Hana said wisely. “I’m not the one who’s crushing on him.”

“You are insufferable. I am glad we are almost at our destination.”

The impatient brunette let out a cheer. “Finally!”

 

* * *

 

Their destination was much grander than Hanzo had originally anticipated. The Bodaiji temple was nestled in a mountaintop caldera amongst thick green foliage and begun with a wide stone pathway. The picture before him was at odds with the name Mount Osore (“fear mountain”) - the entire place was immaculate and well cared for, the numerous candles giving it a warm and inviting feeling. It was hard to imagine, Hanzo thought, that this could be a gateway to Hell.

The pair wandered around, enjoying the scenery, as they searched for the Omnic monk - well, Hanzo enjoyed it; Hana was too tired to take anything in.

“Ms. Song, you should really take a moment to appreciate this architectural marvel.”

“I'm good.”

“You do not seem ‘good’.”

“Hanzo, it's an express- what is that?” Hana pointed a perfectly manicured finger at a small, ugly statue of what she could only guess to be a gremlin.

Hanzo laughed at the mix of confusion and disgust on her face. “I believe that is a statue of Jizo.”

“Is he a sex god? His name sounds like ‘jizz’.”

“No,” was the exasperated reply. “He is a Buddhist spirit that protects the souls of dead children.”

“That’s weird,” Hana affirmed.

“Is it weird by nature, or only because you think it so?” A lilting, metallic voice echoed from behind them. “Perhaps it is only ‘weird’ due to your unfamiliarity with it.”

“Hello, Zenyatta,” Hanzo began stiffly. “I hope that the words of my outspoken friend here did not offend you,” he added, elbowing Hana.

“Not at all,” the monk replied calmly. “She was only expressing an opinion, and did not mean any harm.” He gently floated towards Hana, cocking his head to the side as he observed her. “What is your name, young one?”

Hana, to her credit, tried to hide her discomfort at conversing with an Omnic. “My name is Hana Song, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well,” Zenyatta agreed as he dipped his head. “I apologize if my appearance disturbs you.”

“No no, it's not you! I've just never talked to an Omnic before. You see, back home all we ever do is fight them.”

“Yes, that is a sad truth. Although I suppose that if humans can do bad things, then so can machines.” Zenyatta shifted his gaze to Hanzo. “You, my friend, I know have done some things that you are not proud of.”

The demon wriggled under the scrutiny, and shot the monk a glare. “You know nothing about me.”

“Why not change that? We could help each other.” Zenyatta gestured to his side. “If you would like, you are welcome to join me for a meditation session.”

“C’mon, Hanzo - Let's try it,” Hana cut in. “I think Zenyatta can help us - help you.”

The only response she got was a growl as Hanzo stalked off in the direction that Zenyatta had indicated, leaving the pair to follow him.

The temple opened to a zen garden that look perfected for meditating, even if someone wasn't in the mood. Hanzo quickly sat with forced, irritated movements. He was starting to think that it had been a mistake to come here, but Hana had overcome her initial distrust of the monk and seemed to be interested in what he had to say. So he waited (albeit somewhat impatiently) as Hana lowered herself next to him and Zenyatta sat himself on a smooth rock across from them.

The Omnic addressed Hana rather than Hanzo, his metal faceplate glinting in the sun as he moved. “I am curious to know what you think troubles your friend. You seem very in-tune with people's feelings.”

Hana pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them as her face wrinkled in thought. “Well, I know that he is deeply troubled by the loss of his brother. I know that mourning can sometimes overtake people's lives, and I think Hanzo is letting it consume him.”

The girl's words shook Hanzo. She knew nothing about what had really happened to Genji, and yet somehow here she was - Empathetic enough that she saw how deeply that one event had affected him. It had changed the course of Hanzo's life. He doubted that he would have the same self-deprecating attitude and disgust towards himself without it.

“Yes,” Zenyatta’s voice echoed, startling Hanzo. “It seems to me that Hanzo lets one event determine his self-worth. Do you feel as if you are not worthy of happiness, Hanzo?” Hanzo could only bring himself to nod.

“But one cannot judge the value of a person's entire life based on one action,” Zenyatta continued. “Otherwise nearly every being could be perceived in a negative light.”

Hanzo knew that he should agree, but the Omnic’s words felt like they shouldn't apply to him, like he was an exception to this particular rule. Hana, for one, was nodding vigorously at the speech, totally enraptured; Hanzo couldn't understand why. “But there are some things that are unforgivable,” he countered. “A person who kills someone will always be a murderer, and rightly so.” Hanzo could feel two pairs of eyes on him, but continued nonetheless: “It is not like you can take that back, pretend it never happened. You must live with the consequences of your actions; to forgive yourself is cowardice.”

Zenyatta folded his hands in his lap and hummed in thought. “Is it cowardice to forgive yourself if the person you hurt forgives you?”

“I… suppose not,” came the unsure reply.

“Then close your eyes, my friend. I want you to think of your brother, the one whose death brings you so much pain now.” Zenyatta paused, watching Hanzo as the man closed his eyes and scowled, waiting until a grunt told the monk to continue.

“Then I want you to think of a time when your brother hurt you - A memory that has remained particularly raw and vivid. Focus on the emotions that conjures.”

The painful thoughts arrived suddenly and all at once. Hanzo thought of a hard day when he was a child. Hanzo had made a joke at Genji’s expense, not knowing how harshly their father had just scolded him. Normally, Genji’s quick wit gave him a thick skin, but that time, the younger Shimada exploded. Hanzo's normally cheerful brother began shouting at him about how Hanzo had no will of his own and was just a puppet to the clan - that Genji at least had a free spirit, something that Hanzo knew nothing about. He continued to talk about how much his perfect big brother loved to kiss ass before finally throwing some particularly nasty curses his way and flipping him off as he stormed out of the training room.

Hanzo opened his eyes to find himself balling his hands into fists as Zenyatta placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. “It was not difficult to think of a time when your brother hurt you, was it?”

“No,” Hanzo rasped.

“But did you forgive him for it?”

It did not take Hanzo long to answer with a small “ _yes_ ” as he studied the ground.

Zenyatta nodded in understanding. “Because the emotions you felt in that moment were nothing compared to your love for him.”

Hanzo resisted the urge to cry as the emotional floodgates opened with the resurfaced memories of his brother. Maybe the stupid machine had a point.

Hana patted Hanzo on the arm. “Hanzo, what Zenyatta is trying to say is that you deserve to be forgiven, too. Do you believe that?”

Biting his lip, Hanzo nodded. Hana stared at him intensely. “I want to hear you say that you forgive yourself.”

“I… forgive myself… for my past actions,” the demon murmured quietly. “I understand that I am only… _human_ , and that I make mistakes."

"Very good,” Zenyatta praised. “It may take some time for you to believe what our young friend convinced you to say, but saying it out loud is an important step.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo said weakly. “Thanks to both of you. I feel… lighter, somehow.”

“Burdens wear us down. Their spiritual presence physically weighs on us, making it seem like we are always moving through water rather than air.”

“But what's the best way to get rid of them?” Hana cut in.

“An important question,” the monk observed. “The best way to rid yourself of a hindrance is to acknowledge its presence, rather than trying to fight it, and allow it to pass on its own in due time. It is like a river: if you try to block it and stop it from flowing, it will only overcome the barrier with even greater force.”

Hanzo found himself enraptured and calmed by the Omnic’s words. His whole life, he stuffed his emotions into the depths of his heart, where they festered. Eventually, his mistreatment of his feelings had led to his curse, the greatest price he could pay.

He mulled this over for a bit in his mind, lost in his thoughts - But for the first time he felt that he could examine them from a distance, rather than from their tumultuous center. He wasn't sure how long he had zoned out for when he heard a quiet noise from Hana. He glanced in her direction and saw that she had fallen asleep, head still propped on her knees.

“The girl must be worn out from your long journey,” Zenyatta observed. “Either that or we have bored her to sleep.”

Hanzo smiled. “No, Hana is very respectful. If I tell her that she fell asleep, she will be very embarrassed.”

“Better to just let her rest, then.”

“Yes.” Hanzo stood and focused his gaze on Zenyatta. “Thank you,” he said with a bow. “My mind and body both feel lighter as a result of our discussion.”

“Good,” the monk nodded. “Hopefully you will find that it is a bit easier for you to move without so much weighing you down.” He watched as Hanzo delicately picked up Hana and held her slim figure in his arms. “I sense distress from her as well - She also seems to be dealing with loss.”

“Her parents… are missing, or worse.” Hanzo explained. “She… is too young to be an orphan.”

“Do not worry too much - Somehow I feel that she will be alright in the end. She has a lot of people who care about her.”

A glance at Hana's sleeping face eased some of the worry from Hanzo's mind, but it also tugged at the demon’s heartstrings. He felt that she should not be a victim of such a tragedy.

“I will make sure that she remains well,” he vowed. Zenyatta only nodded in response, and so Hanzo bowed again before slowly retreating back to the temple's entrance and beginning the long walk to his treehouse.

 

* * *

 

Hana only stirred when Hanzo was about half an hour away from home. He had appreciated the time to think but was happy to see her waking - His overactive brain had been making him worry.

“Where are we, Hanzo?” Hana's voice was rough, and she slurred all of her words together as she tried to speak through the blanket of sleep.

“We are almost back at my house,” he replied. “You complained that you would have to pay an inordinate amount for a cab this late at night to return home and so accepted my offer to stay over. You also insisted that I carry you back because you were tired from the walk to Mount Osore.”

“Really? Huh, I don't remember any of that,” the brunette yawned. “Thanks for carrying me,” she added, reaching up to pat Hanzo's head.

The demon felt her hand touch the thin straw hat that hid his horns and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Hanzo, what’re these bumps? She proceeded to pat his head repeatedly, and Hanzo thanked heaven that she didn't have the presence of mind to take his hat off.

“Hana, that is just my hair,” he articulated, putting conscious effort into making sure his voice did not waiver. “You must still be dreaming.”

“Wow, you need to wash it,” Hana giggled. “Maybe you should have that McCree guy do it for you.” She dropped her hand to poke him in the arm. “That'd be fun, wouldn't it?”

“Sure, Ms. Song,” Hanzo joked.

“You liiiike himmmmm,” the girl crooned.

“I assure you, I do not.” Not romantically, at least. But Hanzo would admit the man was alright… or slightly better than alright.


	8. Yakuza and Lies

Hanzo woke late the next morning, something that was quite rare thanks to his night terrors. When he sat up from the pull-out cot, he was surprised to find himself well-rested. The man frowned in confusion as he massaged his shoulders and neck, which were unusually relaxed. The visit to the Bodaiji temple wasn't a wonder cure for ten years of self-loathing, but something had definitely clicked in Hanzo. For a second, he wondered if he could possibly learn to be proud of his heritage, but that train of thought was derailed when he remembered what the Shimada family actually did.

He thought of Hana, sleeping in his bed only one room over, and how surprised she had been when he hinted to her that his family was not the pinnacle of morality they appeared to be. But she had listened, and had actually believed his story. He wondered how many others might be receptive to what he had to say about the Shimada clan, and how many might already know about their true nature.

Filled with a burst of motivation, Hanzo stood slowly with a yawn. Not needing to stretch this morning, he pulled on a plain blue shirt and a pair of black jeans before picking up his hat from its usual spot on his bedside table.

He continued to think as he stared at the tea kettle, listening to the steam boil. Who should he talk to about the Shimada? Hana had been receptive, but the people who actually worked for the yakuza family might be harder to convince; McCree, Fawkes, and the New Zealander all seemed fine with the idea of working for a Shimada puppet. It would be hard to change their minds, but they could be useful if Hanzo could sway their loyalty.

He continued to think as he sipped his tea, watching the tendrils of steam curl upwards. Hanzo would need to convince them two-fold: First, that he was a legitimate son of the Shimada clan, and second, that he was one of the few people aware of the underground dealings of the yakuza. He hadn't thought of it at the time, but he could have shown Hana the few family photographs he had stolen before he fled Hanamura; they would definitely come in handy. Hanzo grabbed them from their long untouched spot at the bottom of his dresser and tucked them into his satchel.

He continued to think as he descended from Kenta and began the walk towards the marketplace, the sun high in the sky and shining down upon him. Hanzo struggled to think of evidence of the Shimada’s wrong-doing - They were cunning snakes that hid their tracks well and killed whoever stepped out of line. Perhaps that could come later; he could always visit the Yoshitake estate to see what he could find.

He pulled himself back to reality as he he heard quiet footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw a dressed sleepy Hana, her hair tussled.

“Hiya Hanzo,” she smiled. “You're up late.”

“Says you,” Hanzo teased. "And only because I had to carry someone all the way back from the Bodaiji temple."

“Hey! You did it of your own free will.”

“I am aware, but that does not preclude me from ‘giving you shit’ about it.”

Hana laughed as she accepted the cup of tea Hanzo handed to her. “Wow, it's rare to hear to you curse! Someone is in a good mood.”

Hanzo's lips twitched upwards into a small smirk. "Oh, hush." He sipped his tea quietly for a few moments before continuing to speak. "I want to go in to town and see if I can find McCree or that other pair of demon-hunters. Is there a place they usually skulk about when pretending to work?"

“Oh, yeah; they're in the main square,” she confirmed. “What do you need them for?”

“I wish to ask them what they know of the Shimada family,” Hanzo confessed.

The girl gave a knowing nod. “Ah - Well I'll be there in a bit, just have to wake up a bit more first. Make sure to say hi to tall, dark, and handsome for me! ”

Hanzo turned away before his friend could see his face blush red. “I will talk with you later, Ms. Song.”

* * *

 

The oni's sharp eyes quickly spotted the unusually-dressed trio chatting on the edge of the large fountain in the center of Kazamaura center, McCree smoking a cigar as he listened to Junkrat tell some animated and probably far-fetched tale. The man gave him a look that made Hanzo’s heart skip a beat as he approached.

“Hiya, Kenta; how have you been?”

Hanzo dipped his head in greeting. “I have been well. What about yourself?”

McCree’s face stretched into a smile. “I’m doin’ well now.” He jerked a thumb at the two men at his side. “Have you meet these fine boys yet?”

“Oi - Stop talkin’ like that, cowboy, or your friend might think you have a crush on me an’ me mate Mako,” Junkrat cut in. He waggled a finger at the gunslinger. “I don’t this guy thinkin’ I have a loose arse!”

McCree gave the blonde a punch in the arm. “Y’er so full of yourself, Jamie; you know I don't want to screw either of ya.” He cleared his throat. “Anyhow, Kenta - This is Jamison Fawkes and Mako Rutledge. They're here from Australia to-"

“Make a fortune!” Jamison squealed. “And none of that ‘Jamison’ crap, Jesse - I've already told this bloke he can call me ‘Jamie’ or just ‘Junkrat’.” The lanky man gave him a slightly unhinged smile.

“So you guys have met, then?” McCree questioned.

Hanzo nodded. “Yes, Jamie here was quick to introduce himself.”

“Of course I was! This fella looks exactly like your ty- OOF.” The Australian let out a grunt as McCree punched him again.

“So, Kenta,” the cowboy cut in. “What brings you here?”

Hanzo straightened up and took a deep breath. “I would like to know what knowledge you three have of the Shimada clan.”

Junkrat stopped fidgeting, Mako turned to look at Hanzo, and McCree put out his cigar at the mention of the family name.

“The Shimada? Now, what would you want to know about them, darlin’?”

“To begin with, I am curious to know what your opinions on them are,” Hanzo answered smoothly.

“Well I can tell you what we think of them,” Junkrat began. “Those old blokes are nothing but liars and dirty cheats, I'll tell ya. They make me madder ‘en a cut snake,” he hissed.

“They bailed on a deal,” Mako explained. Hanzo was surprised at the gruff, booming voice from behind the mask. “We gave them a demon and they gave us nothing.”

Junkrat growled in agreement. McCree’s eyes widened in surprise at his companions’ story. “Really? The Shimada I've met ‘ave been nothin’ but kind folk.”

Junkrat shook his metal fist. “Just wait ‘til you turn your back on ‘em, and then you'll be in for a nasty surprise, mate!”

Hanzo sprang at the opportunity presenting itself to him. “What if I told you that I was looking to bring down the Shimada empire?”

That got his attention. Three pairs of eyes were once again on him. “You wot, mate?” Junkrat stared at him blankly.

“I hope to expose them for the lying, conniving group they are,” he continued.

A wicked smile appeared on Jamison’s face. “Well fair dinkum- I like the sound o’ that.”

“Hold up,” McCree began, “what do you have against the Shimada?”

Confession time… Hanzo breathed in and looked the other man in the eye. “Throughout my life, I was forced to partake in and witness heinous acts within the Shimada clan. I have not been honest with all of you: my name is not Kenta, but in fact, Hanzo. Hanzo Shimada.”

The group was quiet for a moment before McCree softly but firmly said, “Prove it”. Hanzo nodded and dug through his satchel, pulling out the assortment of photos he had remembered to take with him from home. They all pictured Hanzo as a young child or teenager, but there were no pictures of the man as an adult. In most of the photographs Hanzo stood next to family members, amongst them his well-known father Sojiro.

“Blimey,” Junkrat croaked as he looked over McCree’s shoulder at the photos.

McCree laughed dryly. “You're one famous son of a bitch. Everyone was up in arms at your disappearance.”

“I was forced to leave Hanamura,” Hanzo explained, suddenly unable to meet the man’s gaze. “I did not wish to continue living such a life.”

“I can see why,” Junkrat snorted. “I'd rather die than be one of those Shimada kid - Ouch! What was that for, Roadie?!”

The man in the mask shook his head at the smaller Australian. “Sorry,” Jamison mumbled, the word lacking any sense of remorse.

“It is alright,” Hanzo insisted. “I was not happy living there either.”

“So I guess I'll believe that yer a Shimada,” McCree said as he lit another cigar, “but what about these claims about their dirty dealin’s? These two might agree with ya, but I want proof.”

That was the hard part. “I do not have any yet,” Hanzo admitted. “I am working on obtaining incriminating evidence.”

“Don’t worry - Mako and I, we believe ya. We'll do anything we can to help,” Junkrat assured, standing up and extending his good hand.

Hanzo took it in his own and shook it with only a bit of awkwardness. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“No problem, mate - I'll see ya around. Roadie and I are gonna go get somethin’ to eat! I'm starvin’.”

“You're always starving,” Mako sighed as he got up from the fountain. But he waved at Hanzo and McCree and followed his friend without any other protest.

The pair stood in silence for a few minutes as McCree slowly smoked his cigar, before finally sighing and looking at Hanzo.

“I'm sorry I was a bit harsh,” he apologized. “It's just hard to accept.”

“There is no need to be sorry; I understand,” Hanzo affirmed him.

McCree gave him another one of those looks where it seemed he was staring right into his soul. Hanzo suddenly became unaware of anything else around him as those honey colored eyes were fixated on him. “I can only imagine how hard your childhood must have been, to make you run away. How old were ya?”

“Twenty-eight,” Hanzo answered. “Shortly before my birthday.”

“Well that's a shitty present. I was twenty when I left home - I know what it's like, livin’ alone.” McCree took another drag on his cigar before blowing a smoke ring. “So Hana…”

“...is not my daughter,” Hanzo confirmed. “We have just known each other for several years now and I enjoy her company.”

“I almost believed that one,” McCree laughed. “But you look like you have too much goin’ on to be a man with kids.” The man frowned. “I hardly ever see ya smile, it's like something is always eatin’ away at ya.”

The honest answer to that question was not something that Jesse would want to hear. “You must have your own demons,” Hanzo warned.

McCree took the hint, but would most certainly bring the subject up again in the future. “Of course - I didn't mean to imply there was anythin’ wrong with ya. You just look like you could use some more people on her side.”

“Do you have any ideal candidates?” Hanzo questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Well two of them just left to eat ramen until they're in a food coma, but there's this one guy: dashingly handsome, charmin’, a good listener…” The cowboy tipped his hat with a wink.

The demon let out an uncharacteristic chortle at that. “He sounds acceptable.”

“Oh darlin’, now you've gone and hurt my pride! However will you repay me for your unnecessary cruelty?” McCree extinguished his cigar beneath the heel of his boot before moving into Hanzo’s personal space.

The shorter man fought the urge to flee. Hanzo was not used to this sort of interaction and bit his lip, uncertain. “However you like; I would not wish to make an enemy of someone such as yourself.”

McCree gave him a blinding smile, leaning closer. “Will you give me some sugar, sugar?”

Hanzo gave a loud huff and pulled McCree in for a hug, the gunslinger having to bend over as the archer put his arms around his neck. Jesse McCree was terribly warm and smelled like a mix of smoke, gunpowder, and alcohol. Restraint wavering, he quickly pulled away, but not before planting a quick peck on the demon-hunter's cheek in the spur of the moment, the scruffy beard tickling his face.

“Are you satisfied?” Embarrassed, Hanzo crossed his arms across his chest.

“For now, Hanzo.” McCree would never admit that he cursed himself for not pressing his own lips against Hanzo’s when he had been given such a perfect opportunity.


	9. Love and Hate

Hanzo quickly turned around as he felt himself losing the battle against his rapidly heating face. He stalked away, embarrassed, as McCree laughed at his expense.

The man resisted the urge to run to Hana like a small child and report his victory. Instead, he attempted a straight face as he approached her. He doubted he was very convincing, but she mercifully didn't say anything.

"Hey Hanzo - How'd the talk with the boys go?"

"The Australians believed me immediately," he grunted.

Hana laughed. "Of course they did! Those two seem like they'd believe anything."

"McCree, however, was much more suspicious. He insisted on seeing evidence."

"Well, do you have any?"

"Not yet," Hanzo sighed.

"Well then you better get on that," Hana hummed. "Especially since you'll need all the help you can get without me."

"What do you mean?" Hanzo inquired.

"It's not like you ever asked me to help with your big 'Shimada Clan takedown'," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Hana, I came here just to ask you that," her friend explained. "I just know that you don't like combat unless you feel -"

"Of course I'll do it, Hanzo! 'Justice ain't gonna dispense itself'!"

Hanzo groaned. "McCree is becoming a bad influence on you."

"Just depends on how you look at it, sugar," Hana said with a terrible Southern drawl.

"And here I was going to give you more money," the archer taunted.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop now."

"Good." Hanzo didn't think he'd be able to last much longer if his friend continued imitating the cowboy. He pulled out a roll of bills he had set aside for Hana and placed them gently in her hand.

"How has the M.E.K.A prototype been coming? I have not heard you speak much of its development," he observed.

Hana gave him a hug before she put the money in her pocket. "I've been trying to work on it when I can, but it's... difficult now."

It was clear to both of them what she meant, so Hanzo didn't push her to elaborate. "I understand. I bet it will quite impressive once it is finished."

"You know, something else is quite impressive," Hana said coyly.

Hanzo blinked. "What is?" Hana leaned in close and he was suddenly very worried.

"McCree's ass," she whispered. She was able to keep her serious expression for about a second before bursting into laughter.

"Hana Song! Do not say such things!"

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"It is not," Hanzo spluttered.

"So you're saying you like him for his personality, not his body," his friend concluded.

"I said no such thing."

"But you like him!"

Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hana, I am not supposed to, not allowed to like him. Someone such as myself does not deserve his attention."

"That's bullshit, Hanzo," the smart girl insisted. "Everyone deserves to be loved."

"No, not everyone."

"So you're singling yourself out as the scum of the earth who doesn't deserve to have a boyfriend? That sounds a little bit absurd, doesn't it?"

When Hanzo said nothing, Hana continued. "Geez, Hanzo, quit it with the self-loathing; it's not a good look on you."

"Then what would be a good look on me?"

"Well, I think McCree would like to see you in a suit one day," she teased.

"I have not worn one for years. They are constricting and impractical," Hanzo retorted.

"Ughhh - You're not going to get anywhere with Jesse if you’re so inflexible."

"Then you will just have to teach me."

Hana rolled her eyes at Hanzo and shot him a sarcastic smile. "Obviously I've been on this earth longer than you, so I have more life experience."

"Of course," Hanzo chuckled.

"And my first piece of advice as your relationship teacher is to find your evidence against the Shimada family," the young girl informed him. "That'll get Jesse on your side; you can't be together if he doesn't trust you."

Now it was Hanzo's turn to roll his eyes. "I know the ingredients to a good relationship, Ms. Song. It is no different than a baking recipe."

"First of all: oh my God, you and the metaphors. Second: you bake?"

"Of course I do; I am a lonely, single man."

 

* * *

 

He might have been single, and he might have been lonely, but that didn't mean Hanzo Shimada was a pushover. A pushover wouldn't have the bravery (or stupidity) to break into the most secure building in Kazamaura on his own. Again.

Already intimate with the layout of the place, Hanzo felt confident enough (cocky, even) that he didn't have to wait for the new moon's darkness to assist him with this simple in-and-out operation.

So for the second time that month, he found himself standing among the greenery of Yoshitake's tacky mansion, debating the most likely spot that he would find the evidence he was looking for.

It was difficult for Hanzo to put himself in the mind of such a dumb lackey - He struggled with how obvious was too obvious a hiding spot. He could almost hear the demon inside of him snarling at him to just hurry up, so he finally caved and gave in to the transformation.

When the process was complete, Hanzo felt his adrenaline pumping and heard the familiar pounding in his ears. He snuck out from the tree that he had been hiding behind and slowly approached the side of the house, making sure to differentiate this attack from the last. It didn’t help that more guards had been hired, and that Hanzo was pretty sure he saw the glint of binoculars in the distance.

He quietly ran closer to the house until he could go no further without being spotted. Grabbing a nearby rock, he threw it over his head in a graceful arch opposite the direction the two nearby guards were facing. It thankfully landed in a bush and the rustling made the men turn in surprise. Guns drawn, they stalked away from Hanzo and towards the source of the noise.

Not one to miss an opportunity, the demon silently lunged at his unaware targets, arms outstretched. He grabbed each of them by their hair before swiftly pulling his hands towards each other. Hanzo slammed their heads together, causing the guards to both stumble backwards in a daze, lowering their guns if only for a second. A second was all Hanzo needed. He pounced on one and killed them swiftly with a twist of his hands, the guard’s neck sagging as his spine was snapped. The other didn't have a chance to defend himself before he was dispatched in the same manner. Never one to condone using as crude a tool as a gun, the demon smashed the guards' assault rifles under his scaly foot.

After dragging the debris and bodies into the nearest bush, Hanzo approached the side of the manor and pressed himself against the wall. Chancing a look inside, he saw no one in the extravagant dining room. He proceeded to cut out one of the window panes with a sharp talon before reaching inside and undoing the lock. Now able to noiselessly enter the house, Hanzo crawled through the opening and dropped into the room. He scanned it quickly for any possible hiding places - A loose floorboard, a cupboard surrounded by scratches on the wooden planks, anything. When he came up with nothing he snarled and turned left into the kitchen. He pulled open all of the drawers, lifted every plate and serving platter, checked under the rug. Still nothing. He was sure that any guards on the floor would be returning to this part of the loop soon - Searching everything had taken longer than he had hoped it would. Not wanting to chance a confrontation, he squeezed behind the door and waited. It wasn't long before he heard heavy footsteps approaching, slow and deliberate. Hanzo waited until the figure had passed through the doorway before jumping out from his hiding spot. His arm snaked out and swiftly slit the guard's throat, a wet gurgle replacing the sound of a scream. The body hit the floor with a thud, and Hanzo was careful to avoid the rapidly expanding pool of blood as he crept out of the room.

Now he was starting to get irritated. Hanzo had searched everywhere that he would put important documents if he was a yakuza underling - He had even searched the cursed bathroom, for heaven’s sake. The toilet had yielded no secrets.

But then it came to him: he had searched everywhere that he would put important documents. He wasn't a gullible, fifty-something yakuza pawn lacking a decent education. When he took that into account, he let out a menacing laugh and headed right for the study.

That of course was guarded, but Hanzo easily took out the two guards with knives he had appropriated from the kitchen. He wrenched the door open, breaking the lock, and looked around the room piled high with books. He started pulling them down one by one, paper flying in his haste. It was not long before he found a small safe behind a few of them, hidden in an opening that had been created directly in the wall. Hanzo growled at the stupidity of it all as he pulled the safe from behind the bookshelf. Not bothering with trying to guess the code (even though it might have just been 1111), he shimmied the tips of his claws in between the front and side of the metal box and pried it open with minimal effort. He poured its contents out onto the expensive desk, a heavy revolver amongst the bills and papers leaving scratches in the wood. He grabbed the stack of documents and scanned through them, looking for anything incriminating. One quickly caught his eye.

_Yoshitake,_

_I am glad to hear that you are well. I understand your concerns about the attention that our operations attract, but we’ve gotten every single delivery through without any notice. The good citizens of Kazamaura are too busy watching for demons and welcoming our contractors to worry about what Shimada Transportation is bringing over from Hokkaido. The town can’t talk about anything else so long as the jobbers are in the market and on the streets. Just make sure that they stay visible and on the job. I expect a report back in two weeks, or immediately if another attack on your property happens._

_-Masahi Shimada_

Hanzo recognized the sender of the letter as not just director of this ‘Shimada Transportation’, but the right hand man of the family patriarch. Masahi Shimada was so old that he had written letters for Hanzo's own father; Hanzo was annoyed to know that he had not died in a way fitting his evil person yet.

That explained the Shimada’s interest in Kazamaura, but could there be anything further about the demon-hunters themselves? Hanzo searched for a little longer, his mind on McCree, and found another note, in different handwriting, dated just a week ago:

_Yoshitake,_

_It has come to my attention that three of the contractors currently stationed in Kazamaura have engaged in conduct that could negatively affect the image of the organization as a whole._

_Contractor #3712-2, aka “Jamison Fawkes,” has harassed a series of civilians and engaged in unacceptable and shameful behavior. He and his partner, Contractor #3712-3, aka “Mako Rutledge,” should be removed from their posts within two weeks._

_As for Contractor #3712-7, aka “Jesse McCree,” we have reports of him leaving his post on numerous occasions for frivolous purposes (we have other contractors who swear that he is a regular at the local bar). In addition, we have reason to believe that he has divulged confidential information about the operation to civilians who have no business in knowing such things. As such, it is our decision that he be removed from his post within two weeks._

_Once removed from their posts, these three should be sent down to Aomori for a disciplinary meeting. Since all three are skilled combatants, it would be preferable if the three went of their own accord. Replacements will be made available for them. If any of the three are unwilling to go to, or if any of the three return from Aomori, call Nori - he’ll handle the situation in a safe and agreeable way._

Hanzo resisted the urge to tear the letter in half as soon as he had finished reading it. Instead he thought of the three men who had been so accepting of him and pocketed the note along with the other letter in his satchel. He also just managed to avoid storming the mayor's bedroom and slitting the man’s throat, since he knew nothing would come of the violence. Instead, he crept back out the way he came, retracing his steps before finally climbing out through the window again.

He was pleased with his silent escape and was almost off the property when he saw the glint of a lens again. This time, Hanzo was close enough to make out a cowboy hat behind what he could now tell were binoculars; and the observer had definitely seen him. The demon snarled in frustration as he dove out of sight, cursing him for his carelessness as he fled. The incident was a painful reminder that the two of them were on separate sides of the same fight. And unless Hanzo could convince McCree to change where his loyalties lay, that would remain the same.


	10. Friends and Foes

The demon-hunters were understandably displeased when Hanzo showed them the letters he had lifted from the Yoshitake estate. Well, at least Mako was displeased; Jesse and Jamison were furious. Jesse made a point of tearing the paper into as many tiny pieces as he could, all while shouting what Hanzo assumed to be nasty curses in Spanish, before finally stomping on the pieces with his boot.

Not to be outdone, the manic Junker ripped his own note in half with his teeth before wading it up into a ball and hurling it on the ground. He then proceeded to throw and detonate a miniature explosive that left a small crater in its wake. The few citizens that were left in the market that evening wisely did not interfere.

“I swear on me mum’s grave, those blokes are as good as dead! Let's go, right now! I'm not gonna give those cunts the chance to see another sunset!” The lanky Australian was so upset that he didn't even notice his friend fanning him in a desperate attempt to extinguish his hair.

“Jamison, nothing good will come of attacking when we are not ready,” Hanzo countered. “You will be much less useful with a chest full of bullets.”

“I agree with the man, Han! What are we waiting for? I can feel myself gettin’ older just standin’ here,” McCree growled.

“I know that you both are unhappy, but I bet that I’m not the only one who thinks it unwise that we assault the Shimada headquarters, d _ozens of miles away in the center of Aomori,_ this instant. Do you believe me, Mako?”

Roadhog only grunted his agreement as put out the rest of the flames in his friend's hair.

Hanzo smiled unconsciously at the heartwarming sight before continuing to speak. “There is a location in the center of Mutsu where Shimada Transportation, a large company my family owns, handles most of its public operations. I believe that we could find more information to help our cause there.”

The now-extinguished blonde looked he was about to say something, but he didn’t get the chance. “Of course if all goes according to plan and I am put in charge of my family's companies, you will all have access to anything you could wish for.” There was a moment of the silence as the eyes of the three demon-hunters glazed over at the thought of such wealth. “I also wish for Hana to join us,” Hanzo added, “and she is not yet ready.”

Junkrat perked up at the girl's name. “Now hold on there, mate; isn't that sheila a bit young to be bringin’ to a fight like this? I doubt she's ever even been in a fist-fight at school, let alone one with guns.” McCree stared at Hanzo as the blonde spoke, and he suddenly felt like he was being judged.

“Hana,” he began, “is a highly capable engineer who is currently working on a giant robot with large guns mounted on either side of its chassis. So if you do not wish to wait and see that spectacle, Mr. Fawkes, you are welcome to charge in on your own.”

Jamison coughed. “I'll wait.” McCree laughed at his discomfort at being chastised.

Hanzo nodded. “Good. Now, since Hana says her M.E.K.A will only be completed in about three weeks time, we have some waiting to do. However, you three are going to be told to go down to Mutsu for ‘disciplinary action’ -”

“I didn't do anythin’ wrong,” McCree growled. “A man’s gotta be allowed a break.”

“Regardless, Jesse, you three will become targets of the Shimada clan when you fail to show up,” Hanzo continued. “Therefore, I wished to propose a plan to keep you all safe.”

“Roadie and I don't need ya to coddle us! We've been just fine on our own,” Jamison huffed, offended.  
Hanzo smiled. “I do not mean to imply that you two are incapable of hiding on your own. I just wished to offer my help, with no judgments or strings attached… as a friend.”

Junkrat dramatically swooned. “Hooley dooley, I haven't heard that word for a while! Those aren't a thing back in ‘Straya,” he cackled. Roadhog nodded his agreement.

Hanzo caught McCree staring at him when he turned his way. “Well, I have found that life is much more entertaining with friends.”

McCree tipped his hat at Hanzo. “Indeed it is, partner.”

“I wanted to know if you three would be interested in taking refuge in the Bodaiji Temple on Mount Osore - It is not far away and I know the Shambali would be happy to help you.”

“Wait a minute, ain't one of those monks an Omnic? Hana was talkin’ with me about your visit,” McCree questioned.

“I am not taking handouts from a bunch of metal!” Junkrat shouted. “We have our dignity!”

Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you insist. But I hope you will at least tolerate meeting there.”

“Ehhhh, we’ll think about it.” Roadhog made a noise like a laugh from behind his mask as his friend stroked his chin contemplatively.

“That is all I ask,” Hanzo affirmed as he dipped his head in thanks.

Junkrat clapped him on the shoulder in farewell. “Well Mako and I are gonna go grab our things from the apartment the Shimada set us up in - I always love finding me a new place! See you blokes around.” He hobbled away with Roadhog in tow, already rattling off ideas for where they could make their next hideout.

Left alone with Jesse, Hanzo suddenly felt the urge to say something - anything - to break the silence between the two of them. “I am sorry that my family planned to dispatch of you three in such a manner; I feel personally ashamed.”

McCree lit a cigar with practiced ease. “No need to apologize, Han; you’ve been nothing but kind.” He took Hanzo’s hand in his own, the calluses evidence of the labor the cowboy had known in his life. “It’s pretty inspirin’ that you’re planning to do this, you know.”

Hanzo’s heart began to beat a bit faster as he gave the other man’s hand a squeeze. “I do not wish for my family to destroy the lives of more people with their malicious intent. I feel as if this is my duty.”

“You know it ain’t, right?” McCree’s eyes intensely bored into Hanzo’s own with the question.

Suddenly uncomfortable, the archer pulled away, severing the contact. “It is my chance at redemption,” he explained as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You don’t need to be redeemed, Hanzo. I know you won’t tell me all about your inner demons yet, but remember this: good people can do bad things.”

“You sound as if you are speaking from experience.” Hanzo observed.

“Well,” McCree drawled with a puff of his cigar. “I’ve certainly done bad things. Do you think I’m a bad person, darling?”

“Of course not,” Hanzo snorted.

“Well shucks, aren't you just the sweetest,” the gunslinger purred with a wink. “Now I'm glad I came to Japan.”

That peaked Hanzo's interest. “You had doubts?” He raised a dark eyebrow in question.

“I miss bein’ home,” the other man admitted rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Miss my dad, my my friends... It's tough bein’ alone out here.”

“Jesse,” Hanzo sympathized, “you're not alone. Not if you have a father who cares for you and friends both here and at home. People care about you,” he added.

McCree gave him a small smile. “Yer just provin’ my point about how sweet ya are.” He pulled Hanzo into a hug, squeezing him as if he was afraid to let go.

Hanzo was happy to stand in the protection of Jesse’s strong arms and gave a small hum of contentment as he returned the gesture. “I am… unsure if I deserve your affection. But Hana seems to insist the same things you do,” he murmured into the demon-hunter’s chest.

He felt McCree pull him closer. “Well if neither of us deserve it, then we both can afford to be selfish an’ just take it, right?”

“Perhaps.” At least if he was spending his time with another person who had felt same inner hatred, Hanzo would not feel as if he was scamming them.

“That's good enough for now,” Jesse laughed. “So long as you start to like yourself some more. There's nothing more handsome than a confident man,” he assured Hanzo with a signature hat tip.

That was met with only a blush from the demon.


	11. Dead Animals and Dead Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happens one week after the previous chapter.
> 
> As always, feel free to comment your thoughts and suggestions, including grammatical issues that I might have missed!

It was nice to have the opportunity to be with McCree like this, relaxing and taking a walk through the forest. Hanzo knew it couldn't last for long, so he wanted to make the best of their time together; their friendship was strangled by lies and misinformation and would shatter the instant the demon-hunter connected the dots between all of Hanzo's slip-ups. Hell, he had even _seen_ Hanzo's demon form. Once he recognized that it was Hanzo, the man wouldn't hesitate to shoot him.

It was stupid, but for the sake of his company, Hanzo would keep up the charade for as long as he could.

“Somethin’ wrong, partner?”

Hanzo didn't realize his lips had pulled downwards into a scowl. He gave his companion a (strained) smile. “No, Jesse- everything is fine.”

McCree mercifully let the subject drop. “A’ight, if you say so.” The satchel slung across his broad shoulders shifted with a misstep, but was returned quickly to its correct position with a sharp tug. “You know, I can't believe you let all of this good meat go to waste whenever you go out shootin’... ‘Tis a fine shame,” he added with a purposeful glance.

The demon chose to stare at the ground as he continued to walk. “You know I am a vegetarian. Animals could make better use of the corpses than I ever could.”

“But what if ya have company? I'm never one to turn down a good steak,” the tall man whined. “I've never had pheasant, but I bet you could prepare it real nice.”

Startled, Hanzo looked over at McCree and found those warm honey eyes staring at him.

“Wait, I didn't mean to imply that… Er, that wasn't supposed to sound like I was inviting myself over…”

“I do not allow people into my home,” Hanzo responded coldly.

“Right, yeah, I understand.” The hurt was clear in McCree’s voice.

Biting his lip, Hanzo felt forced to say something less aggressive. “Do not take it personally - It is not something directed at you. My house is just… underwhelming. And cluttered. And cramped,” he added.

The demon-hunter let out a loud laugh. “I get it, darlin’; don't worry. You’re a private person.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“‘Course. But we should probably start heading back towards the town - it's gettin’ dark out.”

Only nodding, Hanzo began to circle back the way they had came. The two continued in silence for a couple of miles before a loud growl resounded from somewhere around them.

“Hanzo, please tell me that was yer stomach.”

“It was not.”

“Well shit,” McCree cursed. He dropped the satchel onto the ground and slowly pulled Peacekeeper from her holster before releasing the safety.

“Do not shoot yet, Jesse.”

“But -”

“We do not even know where it is; nor what it is,” Hanzo lied. There was no way he could feasibly explain to McCree how he could pinpoint the bear’s location.

McCree held Peacekeeper up in the air. “I'll just fire a warnin’ shot to draw it out.”

“Jesse McCree, _do not_ -"

BANG. A loud explosion erupted from the barrel of the revolver as McCree pulled the trigger, making Hanzo’s ears ring painfully. Almost instantly, the bear came crashing out of the bushes from behind them. The Asian Black Bear was a massive beast, its snout scarred and patches of black fur missing - from the looks of it, this animal had won its fair share of fights in its lifetime.

Hanzo heard McCree curse loudly next to him as the archer quickly jumped to the side and loosed an arrow into the bear's neck. Undeterred, the massive beast continued to charge at them. McCree fanned the hammer of his Peacekeeper as he fired five bullets in rapid succession; they all landed in a group on the beast’s shoulder, momentarily stopping it as it angrily roared in pain.

“Jesse, get away from that bear now!” Hanzo shouted.

“No, Hanzo! I think I can get a good shot at it,” McCree insisted, raising the revolver.

But the bear was having none of it and reared up on its back legs. It jumped at Hanzo, the archer just barely fast enough to avoid being crushed. He saw Jesse aim and fire at the bear’s head, but only managed to nick its ear. It swung around and ran for McCree again. The demon-hunter started quickly backtracking, beginning to shake. He went to fire Peacekeeper again, but the chamber was empty. With no time to reload, McCree tried to dive out of the way, but was too slow as the bear closed the distance and swung at him. The force from the giant paw knocked McCree to the ground, his body letting out a loud thud as the wind was knocked out of him.

“Jesse! Are you alright?!” No response.

Cursing under his breath, Hanzo threw his bow aside and charged the gigantic bear. By the time he collided with the solid mass, the familiar scales had covered Hanzo’s skin and his tail was thrashing angrily. He threw a powerful punch at the animal's cheek, making it growl. A paw hit the side of Hanzo's head, drawing blood. After wrestling with the bear for several minutes, the demon managed to climb onto the bear's back, arms curling around its neck. It rolled instinctively, knocking the breath out of Hanzo when he refused to let go. Growling, the bear reared up on its back legs and racked its claws down its attacker’s sides. Hanzo only tightened his grip as he yelped in pain, his muscles flexing as he constricted his arms.

He could feel it weaken as the seconds ticked by, its attempts to shake him becoming weaker. As Hanzo wrested control from the beast, with great force he managed to jerk his arms and snap the thing’s thick neck. It collapsed beneath him, finally dead, but Hanzo didn't have the awareness to mourn it. His only focus was McCree.

Feeling his demon form slip away, he stumbled over to McCree’s unconscious form. “Jesse, are you alright? Jesse!” Hanzo shook his companion gently, relieved when he opened his eyes.

“Oh hey, partner - I guess I blacked out, huh?”

“Yes, you had me worried. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m f- FUCK, HANZO, YOU'RE BLEEDING!” McCree sat up, his own accident forgotten.

“It is just a scratch, Jesse,” Hanzo dismissed.

McCree jabbed a finger at him. “No it ain't! Yer head is bleedin’ and yer shirt is nearly shredded!”

“You are worried over nothing,” he pleaded.

But the demon-hunter continued on his tirade. “Bullshit, Han, I'm takin’ ya to the hospital.” He stood up and scooped up the satchel he had abandoned. “Let's go.”

“NO! I AM FINE!” Hanzo shouted, worried at the thought of being subjected to inspection.

“Look, sweet pea, ya clearly ain’t. So you have two choices: Go to the hospital or let me patch you up myself,” McCree growled. “I am _not_ gonna let ya die in my arms like in some damn soap opera!”

Hanzo bit his lip. He knew he would be fine, but would it be worse to let McCree help him or be forced to explain how his wounds magically healed by the time they next met? He was not sure. “Neither are good ideas.”

“Well pick one,” McCree insisted, taking Hanzo's arm and placing it over his shoulder.

The demon inwardly flinched at the contact. His arm felt like it was on fire where McCree had grabbed him. “Take me home,” Hanzo relented.

“Good choice. You'll just have to tell me where it is.”

“It is not far...”

 

* * *

 

Indeed, Kenta was not far from the clearing where they had been attacked. Within twenty minutes they were at the familiar base of the tree, and McCree looked very confused.

“So you live in a treehouse,” he questioned suspiciously.

“I do not call it such, but yes - this is my home.”

“Right, and how are we gonna get up there?” McCree intoned, dropping the satchel.

“Like this,” Hanzo replied smoothly, pulling an arrow from his quiver and firing in one smooth motion. At first it was not clear what he was aiming for amongst the treetops, but then a sturdy rope ladder unfurled and dropped low in front of them. “I can climb the tree just fine, but I figured you would appreciate the extra help.”

McCree let out a small chuckle. “Well ain't ya considerate.”

“Ladies first.”

“A’ight, I take back what I said now,” McCree groaned, grabbing the first rung and slowly climbing upwards.

Hanzo followed in silence, his heart pounding. When they reached the small balcony, he finally mustered the courage to speak, never having been at such a loss for words. “Jesse, my house is a mess,” he stammered as he moved to unlock the door. “I have not had people over for a very long time, so please do not judge me too harshly.”

“Darlin’, I'm sure it's fine,” McCree insisted, standing behind his companion as the door swung open. “You're just overrea- Welllll nevermind.” Hanzo watched as the demon-hunter took in the small house, one which could almost pass for normal if not for the abused walls. Hanzo prayed he would not ask about them.

“What happened to your house, Hanzo? Looks like a tornado went through it.”

 _Of course he was going to ask._ “Some wild animals got in once when I was out hunting,” Hanzo answered quietly, moving to get his first aid supplies. “I have not had the time to repair the damage.”

McCree took the disinfectant from Hanzo, patting the wound on his head with a cotton ball. “Several times?”

“What do you mean?”

“Some of the scratches are fresh, but some are old,” McCree explained, narrowing his eyes momentarily as he scrutinized Hanzo.

“Ah, yes,” Hanzo said offhandedly as he watched McCree slowly unroll the gauze and wrap it around his patient's head.

If McCree had any suspicions, he didn't voice them. That was good enough for Hanzo.

“Now take your shirt off.”

“ _Excuse me_?” Hanzo spluttered, feeling his face burn.

McCree rolled his eyes. “Not for that, darlin’. I don't like fraternizing with injured folk.”

“I-I do not want to take it off,” he said as he tilted his chin up defiantly.

“Why?”

“I will be cold. And I do not undress in front of others,” he snapped.

“There's hardly anythin’ left of it anyway.”

“I do not care.”

“Don’t be difficult. Take it off or I will.”

“You will not.”

“Don’t test me,” McCree growled, stepping into Hanzo's personal space.

“Why? You are easy to rile,” Hanzo sneered.

Apparently that was enough for McCree; the man lunged forward managed to grab the hem of Hanzo's tattered shirt before the smaller man could react.

“Release me!” Hanzo spat.

“Of course, your Highness,” McCree snarled. He pushed Hanzo's shoulder with his prosthetic arm at the same time he swiped a leg at Hanzo's feet. Unable to catch himself, Hanzo heard a loud rip as he hit the floor, his hat floating He saw McCree’s face morph into a mixture of shock and hurt when he noticed the exposed tattoos on each of Hanzo's arms and the horns no longer hidden by the sun hat.

“You…”

“Jesse, I can exp-” Hanzo pleased, sitting up straight.

“You fucking _lied_ to me,” McCree hissed. He stood up and pulled Peacekeeper from her holster, unlocking the safety. “You acted like a human friend when you were just a…”

“Monster? Killer? Oni?”

“Yeah,” McCree growled, his prosthetic hand balling into a fist.

“Then what are you going to do?” Hanzo gestured at the revolver. “Shoot me?” Hanzo almost hoped he would.

“Yes-No-Fuck!” The gunslinger threw his hat down in frustration. “I don't know what to do! You've been a good friend,” he added quietly.

“But I deceived you,” Hanzo stated flatly. “I am a monster who has been cursed to live forever and kill forever.”

“Yeah, but wait,” McCree insisted, “you're a vegetarian. You don't eat meat, and you kill-"

“Innocent people,” Hanzo finished tiredly.

“No, they're not innocent, Hanzo - they work for bad people.”

“I am not talking about them. If you have seen that I am a demon, and you know that I am Hanzo Shimada… then you must understand what happened to my brother.”

“Yeah,” McCree breathed in deeply and slowly, and placed his hat back on his head. “You… you killed your brother ten years ago.”

Hanzo nodded, on the brink of tears.

“What else did you lie to me about?” Jesse’s voice was full of confusion, frustration, and hurt.

“Why does it matter? You hate me regardless - I will consider myself lucky if you do not shoot me or turn me in to be tortured,” Hanzo snapped.

“I'll decide that once I have heard your story,” the other man insisted, placing Peacekeeper on the ground and taking a seat across from Hanzo.

Hanzo wrung his hands in his lap. “Well, you have known for a while that I am Hanzo Shimada, the eldest son of the previous leader of the Shimada clan. Ten years ago, I was ordered to kill my... brother.”

“Why?” The word was full of indecipherable emotion.

“He was seen as a threat. He partied too much and studied too little. The elders worried about his loyalties.”

“So they ordered you to kill him?”

“I did not plan to do it,” Hanzo begged, his hands balling into fists. “But Genji and I had a particularly bad fight, and… I felt something take over me.”

“So that's when you were cursed…”

“Yes. I guess from his throne in Hell, Enma-Ō felt my murderous intent and wanted to assist me in my atrocity… for a grave price,” Hanzo added, waving to himself.

“Emma-oh?” McCree questioned, scratching his head. “Is that a lady demon?”

“Enma-Ō,” Hanzo corrected. “That is our name for the devil.”

“Ah, a’ight. Sorry; continue.”

“After I was transformed and Genji was killed, I fled the castle and Hanamura. My father must have been furious,” Hanzo laughed bitterly. “With both of his sons gone, he would have had to choose another successor.”

“That a big deal?”

“Yes, it means that him and my mother would not be treated the same way as if his son was ruling.”

“Damn.”

“Indeed.” Hanzo cleared his throat. “I came to Kazamaura hoping for the chance to live as normal a life as I could. I successfully managed to blend in for years, even with my monthly trips to the Yoshitake estate.”

“But see, that's where I get confused,” McCree intervened. “I've seen you there before, but what do you want with the boss?”

Hanzo gestured around him. “I do not live luxuriously, but I am comfortable. The same cannot be said for many of this village’s citizens. They live in poverty, without knowing when their next meal will be.” His lip curled in disgust, revealing his sharp teeth. “It is sickening to think that the mayor has so much and does nothing to help his people.”

McCree nodded. “Fair - But how do you fix that?”

“I redistribute that wealth,” Hanzo answered with a wry smile. “His animals can be found and utilized by other lucky peasants, and the vegetables I take can be untraceably handed out to various townsfolk. The precious metals can be melted down.”

“Well ain't you a modern-day Robin Hood,” McCree chuckled, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Bow and all.”

“I do not waste my arrows on those guards.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” McCree looked at the demon before him thoughtfully. “But you're so human…”

“That does not make sense.”

“Just think about it! You don't eat meat, you help out the townsfolk, and you're so civil.”

“I killed my brother!” Hanzo shouted, feeling the tears that he was holding back finally escape his control.

“H-Hanzo? W-what’s happening to you?” McCree pointed at Hanzo, and the demon looked down to see his skin start to bleed as scales erupted from below.

“I-It is normal,” Hanzo dismissed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “It happens when my emotions start to get the best of me.”

“Well I'll be damned - Does it hurt?”

“A bit.”

“I must admit, they're kinda pretty.”

“They make me look like a reptile,” Hanzo retorted. “They are not ‘pretty’.”

McCree shrugged and stood up, scooping up his cowboy hat. “If you say so.” He placed his hat back on his head. “So Hanzo… What do you want to do now?”

“What do you mean?” Hanzo asked, partly anxious and partly angry.

“Well now I know about ya. So… what happens to what we were... are?”

“I will continue to live my life as I have. You are important to me, Jesse, but I cannot let this delay my goals.” Hanzo crossed his arms defensively, his tongue sharp. “I still plan to destroy the corrupt empire my family has built, but what you choose to do is your choice.”

“I guess I should have expected an answer like that from ya,” McCree said warmly. “I, uh, guess I should go now,” he added as an afterthought.

“Perhaps that is for the best. This way you have time to think,” Hanzo responded. He rose slowly and walked to the door.

“Sorry about earlier,” McCree blurted out, turning around to look at Hanzo. “I was just worried about ya.”

“Do you wish that you had not been worried?”

McCree paused before reaching out and giving the other man’s hand a small squeeze. “No, I'm glad I was.” He gave the other man a wave. “See you around, Hanzo.”

“Farewell, Jesse,” Hanzo said with a small smile as he watched the demon-hunter climb down the rope and out of sight. It quickly faded when he realized it might be the last time he said goodbye to the man, and he was even more riled when he realized that the thought upset him greatly. He had already fallen for him much more than knew.


	12. Honor and Sacrifice

Hanzo rose from his bed on the day of the attack on Shimada Transportation already uneasy. He was worried about how the operation would go, and (even though he would never admit it) the fact that he had not interacted with McCree since ‘the accident’ two weeks ago left him an anxious mess. Jesse had tried a few times to get his attention, but Hanzo had always scurried away.

 But he knew he had to go through with his mission, and that the others would not back out either. So Hanzo Shimada began the laborious process of packing everything he might need - throwing knives, earpieces, audio-amplifiers, greaves, bulletproof vests, kevlar gloves, and, irritatingly, a full three-piece suit.

 All of this could either be hidden discreetly on his person or in his trusty bag. Deciding he would never be more ready than he was, he sighed as he changed into the suit, buttoning the fine satin shirt and adjusting his tie. He eyed himself in the mirror when he was fully dressed, running his fingers through his hair before he opened his door to leave and began the lonely walk to the Bodaiji temple.

 

* * *

 

Hana appeared to be the first to arrive, already chatting with Zenyatta when Hanzo climbed the steep steps to their impromptu hideout. She smiled at Hanzo when he approached them.

“Good morning Hanzo! Are you ready to go kill some bad guys?” She spoke with too much enthusiasm about what was in all honestly a large-scale assassination, and Hanzo reeled a bit at the greeting.

“Hello, Hana; you are very enthusiastic about this,” he said with pursed lips. "Why are you even here?"

“I'm here since I figured it would be better to leave my M.E.K.A at the apartment in case we need it, but for me to go in with you guys.” Hana studied Hanzo closely, narrowing her eyes dramatically. “You're acting weird, old man,” the girl observed as she put a hand to her friend's forehead. 

“I am fine,” Hanzo growled, withdrawing into his shell. He noticed Zenyatta staring at him but the Omnic said nothing. Hana narrowed her eyes before turning to the metal monk. “I was just asking Zenyatta if the Shambali knew anything we didn't about the Shimada clan's public operations.” 

“And why would Zenyatta know anything of the sort?”

“I just wanted to see if I couldn't get any more information before the mission! Is that alright, you grouch?”

Zenyatta raised a hand to quiet them. “It is not going to help either of you to bicker. I suggest that you instead greet your friends, who are arriving as we speak.” Surely enough, Hanzo began to hear the voices of Junkrat and Roadhog before the pair finally became visible over the hill.

Jamison waved at them when he saw them. “G’day, mates! Sorry we're late, we wanted to make sure to stock up on supplies.” Sure enough, the man’s arms were filled with all sorts of explosive contraptions, and a large tire was strapped to his back.

Hana smiled and pointed at him. “Hiya, Jamie - What's with the tire?”

The Australian’s face immediately lit up. “Oh, this is just one of my favorite lil’ doodads! I can control and detonate it remotely - It's like an RC car without the car,” he cackled.  Roadhog gave a sigh next to him, and Hanzo started when he realized that the man's ever-present mask was missing. He knew the giant wouldn't wear it for their infiltration, but he had not been able to mentally visualize Mako’s face. His right eye was clouded and unseeing, and his face was riddled with scars. Some rough and jagged, like one on the underside of his jaw, some smooth and thin, like the sharp line across the bridge of his nose. Hanzo nodded at him in greeting and tore his eyes away, not wanting to stare.

Hana rolled her eyes at Jamie. “I bet that dumb tire is nothing compared to my M.E.K.A; mine is bigger and better,” she teased.

“Ms. Song, please,” Hanzo groaned.

“You're just in a bad mood because Jesse isn't here.”

“I am not."

“You are!”

Jamison tried to conceal a laugh but failed. “I figured you might bat for the other team, mate!” Hanzo was about to tell him to shut up before he continued. “Besides, the bloke will be here soon anyway, so no need to get your knickers in a twist.”

“He has contacted you?” Hanzo’s heart jumped at the thought.

“Oh yeah,” Junkrat insisted, “he wouldn't miss this for anything!”

“Interesting. He will probably only arrive after we have left, however…”

“That ain't nice, hun; I have impeccable timing,” the disembodied voice of McCree echoed behind from Hanzo. The demon must have been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he had not heard the gunslinger climbing the hill. For once, he was impeccably dressed, black coat and slacks wrinkle free. It looked like he had even put gel in his hair, as it was slicked back against his head. Hanzo found himself conspicuously staring, but Jesse only winked at Hanzo when he noticed.

“Oi, Jesse!” Junkat waved at him. “Good to see you're alive; you were takin’ so long I thought you might have choked on a trough lolly,” Jamie chuckled, clapping McCree on the shoulder as he reached the group.

“I'm fine, Jamie,” Jesse assured him. “I just wanted to find us some wheels.”

Hanzo raised an eyebrow. “And where did you acquire an automobile?”

“Found it,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.

“You _‘found’_ it? Jesse, you're such a terrible liar,” Hana chimed in.

“Only when it's not important, shortcake.”

“The sheila is just fun-sized,” Junkrat chuckled.

Hanzo rolled his eyes. “Neither you or Jesse would know nothing about being short,” he sighed. “Can we please begin our mission?”

 

* * *

 

By the time the bunch arrived in Mutsu, Hanzo felt like the contents of his breakfast were threatening to reappear. Jesse was a horrendous driver; his inexperience and need to go tens of miles over the speed limit combining to form a terrible start to the day. Even Jamison had warned them he might hurl, and the man’s stomach was unshakable almost all of the time. Somehow Mako had slept through the whole ride in the front passenger seat, snoring deeply. Hanzo, Hana, and Junkrat, squished in the back of the almost-certainly-stolen armored van, had less of a relaxing time.

Jamison even went so far as to kiss the pavement when they reached the city, giggling nervously and muttering to himself about how if he never had to ride in a car with Jesse again it would be too soon. McCree looked confused and insulted, as if he couldn't understand why everyone was upset. He parked the vehicle at the end of the block from the large glass tower of Shimada Transportation Headquarters to avoid drawing suspicion, as if their rag-tag group wasn't suspicious enough.

Hana had already contacted a friend ahead of time about their visit to Sendai, and her large pink M.E.K.A was stored inconspicuously in a garage until the time came to use it. The others all had their equipment in various carrying cases on their person - except for Junkrat, whose grenade launcher and tire stood out like a sore thumb. So he would hide while the other four proceeded into the building, and wait for the signal to detonate the first explosion.

And so it began: Hanzo felt no anxiety as their group walked through the exorbitant entryway - just the familiar burn of anger and hatred in his chest. He glanced at McCree walking next to him out of the corner of his eye. The gunslinger’s face was unusually stern, eyebrows knitted together and lips pulled tight into a frown. He must have felt someone staring at him because his head turned slightly to look at Hanzo.

“I wouldn't bail, ya know,” McCree whispered solemnly.

Hanzo looked around as he took in his surroundings, not feeling like he could meet Jesse’s gaze. “I was unsure if my presence would have made it awkward for you.”

“Of course not, Hanzo.” Jesse turned his head towards Hana on his other side. “Have you had a chance to scan the building yet, shortstuff?”

“Working on it,” Hana answered, pink nails tapping away on her phone. “I'm not seeing anything that looks out of the ordinary yet.”

“Well we don't have much time left,” McCree insisted. “These guys are going to be all over us pretty soon if we keep looking so damn suspicious.”

Hanzo straightened the tie of his suit anxiously. “We will be fine.”

"Got it!” There's this single huge room on the seventh floor of the building,” the seemingly innocent girl chimed in. “Definitely something that is out of place in a corporate office!”

“Interestin’,” Jesse muttered as he stroked his beard. “That's definitely a good place to start,” he added with a look at Hanzo.

The other man nodded in understanding, pulling out his cellphone from the pocket of his slacks. “Jamison? We’re good to go here. We'll see you soon.”

There was a loud joyous shout from the other end of the line. “Finally! I'll bring the ‘car’ around,” he said menacingly before ending the call. It was not long before Hanzo could hear the roar of an engine growing ever louder. On his signal, the four of them ducked behind a wall just as Junkrat’s rip-tire exploded with a loud _boom_ at the entrance of the building.

People screamed and ducked for cover as glass flew everywhere, the windows exploding into a flurry of twinkling shards. The receptionists started hurrying people out of the building as the security guards around the entrance pulled out guns and started shouting into their radios in rapid fire Japanese. The four infiltrators sprinted towards the stairwell, Hanzo throwing the door open as he reached it. The group climbed the stairs as if they were on fire, Hana running to the front to guide the others.

“ _Why_ in God's name couldn't we use the elevator?!” McCree shouted through his harsh breaths.

“Would you really want to be stuck in it when the Shimada stop cut the power? If so I would gladly push you to the front,” Hanzo growled sarcastically.

“Shut up, you two! We're almost there anyway,” Hana interjected. “We just need to be quick. Are you doing okay, Mako? You're a lot quieter than than these two,” she said with a glance over her shoulder.

The giant nodded. “Fine, don’t worry.”

“Good, I wouldn't want to have to deal with Hanzo and Jesse alone,” she joked as she opened the door to the floor.

Almost immediately the crew was met with gunfire, bullets whizzing by and only narrowly missing as they ducked back to hide against the wall. “Surrender or die!” came an angry shout in Japanese.

“ _Never_ ,” Hanzo hissed back as he pulled out his bow. He nocked an arrow and pulled drew the string as he glanced at Jesse on the other side of the doorframe. The gunslinger already had his revolver at the ready, and raised his eyebrows in question. Hanzo pointed to one of the flashbangs at his partner’s belt and then to the door frame. McCree, suddenly understanding what Hanzo wanted to do, gave him a wicked smile and pulled one from the holster.

“Fire in the hole!” he shouted with a cheer as he hurled the grenade through the opening, painting the whole room a painful white as it exploded. Hanzo rolled his eyes as the group surged forward, ready to attack the disoriented guards. He loosed an arrow into the shooting arm of one as Jesse fired at his buddy, while Mako used his oversized hook to pull another close before knocking him out. Hana, to her dismay, was mostly stuck with duct-taping mouths and tying limbs together as the three men cleared the room.

“I can fight too,” she muttered in Korean.

“I am aware, Hana,” Hanzo assured her as he knocked another guard unconscious. “But I would feel terrible if something happened to you,” he explained.

Hana left out a huff as McCree looked between the two in confusion, a limp body thrown over his shoulder. “What'd she say?”

“She was admiring your accuracy with your firearm,” Hanzo responded quickly; Hana snorted from beside him but said nothing. “And what happened with that one?”

McCree waved the dead man’s hand dismissively. “Oh, I missed.”

The archer couldn't help but chuckle at the blatant lie. “Of course you did.”

Hana finished tying a woman’s arms together and whispered a small “sorry” before straightening up. “Okay, room clear. Now let's start searching.”

 

* * *

 

A quick search of just ten minutes yielded a wealth of information: sale receipts, classified letters, future operations, all locked in nothing more secure than simple safes.

The group was still in the middle of searching when a figure stepped into the room. Another guard had a large pistol held to the side of Jamie's head as he pushed his captive forward.

“Stop what you are doing,” the man commanded in accented English. “Surrender or your friend dies.”

“Jamie! What happened?! I thought you were right behind us,” Hana said in shock.

“I was, but apparently this dipstick followed me all the way ‘ere. And now he's usin’ me as blackmail; pathetic.”

Roadhog’s normally impassive face had transformed into that of an angered monster. “Release him,” the Australian growled. It was not a request.

“Or what?” The Shimada member held Junkrat closer, driving the barrel of the gun into his scalp.

“We’ll kill you,” Hanzo declared.

He saw McCree move to stand next to him. “We outnumber you four to one.”

“Are you sure about that, cowboy? Reinforcements are approaching as we speak,” the wicked man sneered.

“Don’t care,” Roadhog snarled. His boot made a thunderous sound in the quiet room as he took a step forward.

“I'll shoot! Don't you dare move!”

The words fell on deaf ears as Roadhog lunged forward, hook flying towards his friend and his captor. Junkrat slammed his head into the guard's just as the other man fired his pistol before moving out of the way. Roadhog’s large hook wrapped around the enemy’s waist and he pulled on the chain with a rough yank. The Shimada underling stumbled towards the giant from the force of the movement, and the tissue of his brain splattered the walls as Roadhog’s scrap gun fired into his head from just feet away.

The room was silent for a moment except for the labored breathing of the Australians. Roadhog looked at Junkrat as he wiped the blood off of his face. “You're hurt,” he huffed.

Junkrat reached his good hand up to the side of his head; it came away red and sticky from the mess that the bullet had made of his ear. “Guess I am. At least I'm alive; thanks Mako, you saved me from the Grim Reaper once again, mate.”

“You need to be more careful, Jamie.”

“I will be, don’t worry. Let's just finish up the job.”

“Agreed,” McCree nodded. “Jamie is gonna need a good once-over to make sure that he doesn't lose too much blood.”

“Yes, let us leave. We have enough information to begin our decimation of the Shimada family’s stellar reputation.”

Hana grabbed Jamie by the arm and started guiding him to the stairs, the man clutching a bandage to his ear and muttering about all of the sounds around him being fuzzy and distorted. The rest of the group followed on high alert, all worried that no one had tried to attack them at such a good choke point.

As they started towards the first floor, Hanzo could just make out the whispers of many people. Voices speaking entirely in Japanese, all talking too quietly for him to make out what they were saying. Frowning, he put a hand on Hana’s shoulder to stop her and Jamie.

The girl looked at him questioningly. Hanzo held up a finger before pulling out his phone and tapping away hurriedly. Everyone's phones buzzed in their pockets at the group text.

_They are waiting for us._

Several pairs of eyes widened at the message, and Hanzo watched McCree’s face pull into a snarl. The gunslinger was about to pull Peacekeeper from her holster when the buzz sounded again. Hanzo and the others instinctively checked their phones as Roadhog pushed past them.

 _I got them. Get out_.

Before anyone could stop him, the seven-foot giant from the Outback aimed his scrap gun and shot again and again at the swarm of guards that had been waiting for them. Several of the closest fell immediately, filled with thick metal slugs.

 _“GO!”_ The shout was a not a request.

Hanzo was quick to move, shoving McCree forward. Hana was trying to do the same with Jamie, but the explosives specialist was struggling against her grip.

“Let me go! I have to help him!”

“He’ll be fine, Jamie! We have to leave!” Her words fell on deaf ears as Junkrat continued to fight her. He was shouting now, watching Roadhog get shot in the chest over and over again. Of course he was wearing a bulletproof vest, but there was only so much it could hold up against.

Silently thanking Mako, Hanzo ran toward their pair of stragglers. With a quick apology, he unceremoniously threw Junkrat over his shoulder and grabbed Hana’s hand. “We are _leaving!"_

Junkrat started to sob, tears falling and leaving clear trails among the soot on his face. He had since given up on yelling to be freed, and only continued to weakly beat Hanzo’s back with his fists.

McCree had already started the car by the time the trio rounded the block, and anxiously drummed on the driver's side door as they piled in. As soon as Hana had slammed the door, he sped off with a screech. Junkrat was squished between her and Hanzo, face in his hands as he cried for what was probably the first time in years.

McCree had left the radio on from their incoming trip, and turned the dial up when he heard the worried voice of a news announcer.

“This just in: A group of five terrorists has attached the Sendai headquarters of Shimada Transportation. As of now it is unknown what their motives were, but to attack such an honorable company is quite terrible-"

“Bullshit,” McCree spat.

“They killed an astounding twenty guards before four of them fled the scene. The last of them remained in a firefight with the rest of security and police, managing to kill another fourteen guards before one officer fired a fatal shot-"

“ _Turn that off_ ,” Hanzo hissed. But it was too late; Junkrat had already heard his worst fears confirmed. His body shook with the force of his sobs as he lamented over his best friend. All his friends could do in an attempt to comfort him was lay a hand on his shoulder and let him know they were mourning, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY IF I BROKE ANY HEARTS WITH THIS CHAPTER.  
> THINGS WILL RIGHT THEMSELVES EVENTUALLY.


	13. Alcohol and Admittances

Hanzo couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't get the image of the usually unflappable Jamison Fawkes, in tears, out of his head. It did not help that the group had not heard anything about Roadhog, but they all feared for the worst.

Hanzo finally gave up trying to rest when the sun’s rays poked through the curtains of his bedroom, so bright and cheery that it got on his nerves. He was moving to boil water for his morning tea when he heard a knock on the door. Carefully tiptoeing to look through the peephole, he opened the door when he saw the familiar face of a demon-hunter.

“What do you want, McCree?” His question sounded aggressive and irritated, but he was too worn out to apologize.

“Hi to you too,” came the snarky reply: Hanzo knew he deserved it. “You look like you haven't slept well,” the gunslinger observed, concern creeping into his tone.

“I did not sleep at all.”

“You too? Damn.” McCree’s prosthetic hand reached back to his stash of cigars, but he stopped himself, an action that did not go unnoticed by Hanzo. McCree unconsciously cleared his throat, discomfort evident. “I uh… came here to ask you a favor.”

Hanzo blinked tiredly as he moved to let McCree in. “What do you need?”

The cowboy took his hat off as he followed his companion to the kitchen, placing it on the table before speaking. “I need your help with Jamie.”

Hanzo looked up from pouring his tea. “What is the matter with him?”

“He’s worrying me. I've been trying to check in and see how he's doing, but all he says is that he just needs to drink and just be alone.”

“That seems perfectly understandable.”

“Only because neither of you know that it's okay to ask for help when you're trying to get through shit!” McCree inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm himself. “Listen, Hanzo, I know we haven't sorted out where we stand yet, but I'm just asking you to help me help him. Just come down to the bar with me so he ain't alone.” Those honey-colored eyes were fixated on Hanzo's now, pleading. How could he not help with a look like _that_ from Jesse?

“Very well. But I will warn you that I am not the best at comforting others.” He sipped his fragrant tea only once more before putting the half-empty mug down. “Let us go,” he said resolutely.

* * *

Hanzo was even more anxious upon entering the local bar on this occasion than when he had to reveal his true identity to Hana. He was unsure if he would be of any help at all to the demon-hunter, as years of living on his own had left him quite socially inept. His relationship and comfort with Hana had only developed after several years, and he had hardly known Jamison Fawkes for a month.

But Hanzo had given McCree his word, and so here the two stood. If his friend was as uncomfortable as he was, then he did not show it; Jesse McCree’s cool and collected demeanor had returned his features schooled into an impassive slate.

Pulling back the thick curtain covering the doorway, Hanzo gestured to the warm interior of the establishment. “Ladies first,” he teased, quoting the cowboy.

The corners of McCree’s mouth pulled upwards into a grin. “Hey, I'm the biggest stud you'll ever have the pleasure of knowin’, Han.” He placed his hand in the small of the archer’s back and gave Hanzo a gentle push. “Let's go find Jamie.”

Suddenly unable to argue with his companion and very aware of the heat spreading across his face, Hanzo walked alongside Jesse into the bar. It was no different than he remembered - Bright, loud, and upbeat. He found his eyes drawn to the same bartender that had served him and Hana, his slicked hair staying perfectly in place as he wove between tables. A dazzling white smile remained on his face even as a certain patron yelled at him - Of course a man who liked being called ‘Junkrat’ would not refrain from shouting in a bar.

The hot-headed blonde scowled at the pair when he noticed them. “Ey, what’re you two doin’ here? Can't a bloke get some alone time once in a while?”

“I did not mean to bother you,” Hanzo apologized. “Jesse just thought-"

“You had me damn worried, Jamie,” McCree interrupted. Hanzo missed the warmth of Jesse’s hand as his companion folded his arms over his chest. “Of course I was goin’ to check on you at least once.” He angrily pulled a stool out from aside Jamison, the seat screeching against the floor as it was harshly jerked around. Hanzo said nothing and sat next to him with just a sigh, watching the lithe form of the bartender again as the man flitted between customers.

Junkrat waved his shot glass at the pair angrily. “That damn bogan said this is my last drink for the night, so I have to make it last. But I'm not even feelin’ pissed, dammit,” he growled.

“I know,” McCree sympathized, ordering his own drink from the bartender when he came over again. “But drinkin’ won't make your problems disappear like you hope it will.”

“Says who,” Jamison shot back with a snarl.

“A recovered alcoholic.”

Hanzo snickered. “Recovered?”

“Hey, a man can still enjoy drinkin’ responsibly,” McCree said with a sly grin.

Junkrat groaned and threw his head back to the ceiling. “Are you two chatty cathies done yet? The quicker you get out of here, the quicker I can have me peace.” He picked at the ripped hem of his shorts unconsciously as he waited for them to respond.

Hanzo spoke first: “Jamison, Mako would not want to see you like this.” That was evidently the wrong thing to say, as that made the demon-hunter glare at the oni with an intensity that Hanzo had not seen from him before.

“You don’t fucking get to talk to me about Roadie,” Junkrat deadpanned. “No one ever knew ‘im like I did.”

Hanzo tried to swallow around the lump forming in his throat. He should have just left, apologized to both men and ran away before making the situation worse; he was excellent at running away. He didn’t realize that he was being spoken to until Jesse put his hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. He had apparently missed a chunk of the conversation because McCree had started talking about his demon friend.

“I know it might not seem like it, but this guy does know what it’s like to lose someone special,” the gunslinger continued. "His brother died many years ago."

That made Junkrat’s eyes widen just a bit. “Really? I didn’t know, mate - I’m sorry.”

“I do not expect you to apologize,” Hanzo replied with a bow of his head. “Dealing with the passing of a loved one is heart-wrenching, and it makes us say cruel things.”

Jamie’s glass shifted between the fingers of his prosthetic hand as he fiddled with it in thought. “How did you get over it?” His voice had dropped so low that it was a shadow of his normal volume, throat raw from all of his cries of agony.

Hanzo took a sip from McCree’s glass, finding that he suddenly needed the comfort of the alcohol. “It took me many years, and I was only able to do it because of my friends.”

“I dunno if I can do it, though; I’m not as strong as you,” Jamie worried as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. Hanzo and McCree both assured him that this was not the case, but the man looked unconvinced. 


	14. Smoke and Mirrors

Hanzo, Jesse, and Jamison spent several hours in the bar together that day, sharing stories, telling jokes… anything to get Junkrat’s mind off of Roadhog. The employees of the establishment were perceptive enough to leave the trio mostly alone, but were still obligated to sell them food and drinks.

Genji’s clone came around again to check on the group later in the evening, bright-eyed and smiling as he quietly approached the bar. Hanzo and McCree noticed him from their peripheral vision, but it looked like Junkrat was none the wiser, continuing to mumble into his empty glass. When he walked up to them, he put his hand on the distraught Australian’s shoulder. “Hello again, sir.”

Junkrat’s reaction was immediate - he nearly jumped out of his seat at the unexpected touch. “Blimey, mate! Don’t sneak up on a man like that, ye nearly gave me a heart attack!” He fumbled with his glass as he tried to avoid dropping it on the floor, eyes wide and peg-leg bouncing nervously. Hanzo looked at his friend curiously, the reaction unusual for Jamison - But he couldn’t imagine what might have made him so jumpy, so he just mentally filed away the information.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” the server apologized. “I thought you heard me coming. I just wanted to check in and see if you would like anything to eat. It will help make a hangover better,” he said with a smile.

“No no, I’m alright,” Jamison said breathily. “We’ll be out of your hair soon.”

The jet-black hair never moved as the man nodded. “Alright, no worries.” He turned to Hanzo and smiled in greeting. “I remember you from a few weeks ago, sir - How have you and your daughter been?”

“Well, thank you,” Hanzo replied coolly. It hurt his heart to look at those sparkling green eyes as he spoke to the man who so unfairly resembled his deceased brother. He felt like he was being _punished_. “And yourself?”

“I am excellent, thank you.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, just like Genji’s. The demon felt like he had just shot one of his own arrows into his heart. “Although I advise you and your friend in the cowboy hat against drinking any more.”

“Oh so now he’s cuttin’ you blokes off, too,” Junkrat snickered.

“Oh c’mon,” McCree drawled. “I haven’t had too much.”

“He is right, Jesse,” Hanzo insisted, looking pointedly at his companion. “We should all call it a night.”

 **“** Well ain’t you fun,” his companion chuckled. McCree stood with a dramatic sigh, pouting and looking like a scolded puppy. “I _guess_ we should go.”

Hanzo shot him a toothy grin. “I'm glad you agree.” The archer ignored the man's annoyed spluttering as he directed his gaze towards Junkrat. “Come, Jamie,” he said kindly.

Surprisingly, Jamison Fawkes didn't protest, instead just slowly sliding off of his bar stool before moving to stand next to Jesse and Hanzo. “Alright,” he mumbled, “I'm comin’.”

Hanzo hid his generous tip under the half-empty saké bottle before waving to the bartender in farewell. He led the other two men outside, taking in the vibrant colors of the setting sun as they stood together in silence for a moment.

Jesse fumbled around in his pockets before pulling out a cigar. Lighting it, he offered the case to Junkrat, but the other man just shook his head. It was weird for him to be so quiet; he even looked smaller than Hanzo remembered, like the new weight on his shoulders was pushing him towards the ground.

Hanzo, uncomfortable with the silence, was the first to break it. “Jamie, will you be… remaining in your current hideout on your own?”

“I dunno,” the man said with a sigh as he sat down on a nearby bench. The sight reminded Hanzo of when he had first saw Junkrat, the memory seeming so long ago. “I imagine it'll be, ah… painful to stay there.”

McCree bobbed his head silently in agreement as he continued to blow smoke rings from his cigar. Hanzo, mesmerized, watched them float upwards before slowly dissipating. Looking at them, he felt like he should take a chance: “Why not stay at the Bodaiji temple? McCree is already holed up there, and he seems as if he would make decent company.”

Jesse put a hand over his heart. “Oh darlin’, that was cruel! I am the best roommate ever,” he retorted. “And I would love to have someone to chat with.”

“That's mighty nice of ya,” Jamison began, the uncertainty from earlier creeping back into his voice. “Do you mind if I think about it? I'll let you two know what I decide in the mornin’.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hanzo confirmed as McCree gave the Australian a thumbs up.

“I'm going to head back, though - ‘tis been a long night.” Junkrat shuffled his weight as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I uh, appreciate yer company.”

“Was our pleasure,” Jesse insisted. He seemed like he was about to say something else but was interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He dug around for a few moments before finally pulling it out and putting it up to his ear. “Buenas noches, papi. Haven't heard from you in a while, what's up?”

Hanzo and Junkrat looked on silently as they watched McCree's face furrow in confusion. “Yeah, I'm at Kazamaura’s bar; before you ask I only had one glass -" He looked at his phone in disbelief. “Dad?” When he was met with silence, McCree snorted. “That jerk hung up on me!”

Junkrat looked as if he actually might laugh despite the night’s somber mood. “Wow, your old man doesn't like ya drinkin’, does he?”

“Does he call often?” Hanzo knew little of McCree's mysterious father.

McCree gave a shrug as he pocketed his phone. “He always yells at me to be careful since I've had a bit of a drinkin’ problem before. He checks in on me every once in a while to see how I'm doin’.”

Junkrat sniffed. “Mako was like me dad. I didn't know me parents.”

Silence.

No one could think of a good way to respond to that, so the three men stood around awkwardly for a few minutes before finally being saved by the loud arrival of a sleek black motorcycle. Its rider dismounted in one fluid motion, muscles rippling along the man’s body underneath his camo shirt. Jesse shouted when he saw who it was that took off the helmet. “ _Dad?!”_

McCree’s father snorted, but the corner of his dark eyes wrinkled as he smiled. “Of course it’s me, Jesse. Has your vision turned to shit since the last time I saw you?”

McCree dashed over and gave his dad a hug, Hanzo noticing when the two embraced that Jesse’s father had at least a few inches on his son. The demon frowned, annoyed that everyone he knew was so tall.

Jesse pulled back to look at his father. “What are you doin’ here?”

“Making sure you're not getting into any trouble, cabrón. Are you going to remember your manners and introduce me?”

“Oh, right; sorry,” Jesse said sheepishly. “Hanzo, Jamie - This is my foster dad, Gabriel Reyes. Raised me from a lil’ babe, he did. Dad, this is Hanzo Shimada and Jamison Fawkes.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Hanzo greeted formally, shaking Reyes’ hand. The man’s dark skin was cool to the touch and incredibly rough, his hand covered in all sorts of calluses and scars.

“Same to you; Jesse loves to chat about you all the time,” he said with a sly grin.

“Dad! I’m a grown man, you can’t embarrass me for the rest of my life,” McCree groaned.

“Just doin’ my job.” That got a snicker out of Hanzo and Junkrat. Now it was Jamie’s turn to be inspected by the crucial eyes of the military man. “I’ve heard about you from my troublemaker, too; he said he was happy to make a decent friend from work.” The troublemaker in question cleared his throat loudly, but his father continued. “I have word for you on your friend, by the way; he is alive. Barely, but that’s better than being very _dead_.”

Jamison looked at the man in undisguised shock; he seem ready to throw himself into the other man’s arms. “Roadie’s _alive_?! Where is he?!”

Reyes held up a hand. “Easy there, he is in an unstable and unique condition. He is currently being treated and monitored at one of our medical facilities.”

“‘Our?’” Hanzo questioned, the man’s vagueness worrying him.

“I work for a special task force that I cannot disclose the name of,” Reyes said apologetically. “But I can assure you that your friend will be alright; he may seem different the next time you see him, but he will still remain the same man.”

Junkrat didn’t seem to care about the latter part of that sentence - the only part he was concerned with was when he had been told ‘your friend will be alright’. It was as if the weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, and he once again stood tall with the same fire in his eyes. “Thank you,” he said sincerely, more serious than Hanzo or Jesse had ever heard him.

“You’re welcome - I’m always glad to be the bearer of good news. And dessert,” he added as he moved to his motorcycle and revealed a bag with a plethora of baked goods. “I couldn’t have my only son starvin’ out here.”

* * *

 


	15. Questions and More Questions

The appearance of Jesse’s father, Gabriel Reyes, had intimidated Hanzo, but now he could see the caring heart behind the gruff exterior. The demon’s sharp senses also noticed a number of shared quirks between the two. The same laugh, even if McCree laughed more; the way they gestured wildly with their hands; their shared love of alcohol and tobacco - Although Gabriel would never be caught dead smoking a “disgusting cigar".

Shortly after he had arrived, McCree’s father said farewell to the three friends, explaining that he had to go check up on a certain Mako Rutledge. “I'll be in touch, Jesse; expect an update within a few days.” He shook hands with Jamie and Hanzo before mounting his motorcycle and riding away, the loud engine making it impossible to speak until he had retreated far away.

“Your father is an interesting man,” Hanzo observed.

“Yeah, he’s still an edgy teenager at heart,” Jesse agreed with a smile. “But I'd be damned if I didn't admit that he's a good foster dad.”

“You never knew your parents, mate?” Junkrat's mood had noticeably improved, and his eyes now had their usual spark back.

“Nope, they dropped me off in a nursery home when I was four. Who knows why,” the cowboy shrugged.

Junkrat nodded in understanding. “Well it's a good thing Mr. Motorcycle Man adopted ya, you could have been the son of a yakuza!” He shot Hanzo a wry smile, to which he received the middle finger. A month ago Hanzo Shimada would have put Jamison Fawkes on his mental hitlist for a statement like that - oh, how he was changing.

The Junker’s only response was a chuckle. “Ya know I mean well - Anyway, I'm going to head back home, clean up for Roadie a bit - g’night lads.”

“See ya Jamie!”

“Sleep well, Jamison.”

“Ta-ta!” He said with a wave before hobbling off, humming happily to himself.

McCree tossed the remains of his cigar on the ground and flattened it beneath the heel of his boot. “I should head back, too - I've got a ways to go to get back to Osorezan.”

“Well,” Hanzo began. “Perhaps you do not have to return; it is late.”

“Are you inviting me over? I thought you didn't let people in willingly,” McCree recalled with a questioning raise of his eyebrows.

A blush started to spread across the demon’s face despite his best efforts to prevent it. “Well, this is an exception.”

“That's good enough for me,” Jesse declared. “Let's get goin’.”

* * *

With the gunslinger's reckless driving, it took the pair much less time to reach the forest and the familiar base of Kenta than Hanzo thought it would. The ride had not been conducive to conversation, for the driver had been too focused on skirting around all the traffic and the passenger had been too busy clutching the dashboard and looking for potential threats.

Somehow they made it back in one piece and climbed the rope ladder that marked the entrance to Hanzo's quaint home. Removing his shoes and carefully placing them on a tray by the door, he turned to look at McCree. “Would you like any tea?”

His companion looked up from pulling off his boots. “Huh? Oh - Nah, I'm fine. Thanks, darlin’. I'm amazed you drink caffeine this late,” he added as he straightened up.

“It is uncaffeinated, of course,” Hanzo said with an eye roll as they moved into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter as he waited for the water to boil, McCree still giving him a curious look. “It… helps me calm down,” the man explained.

“Ah,” McCree said gently. He suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable, if the way he was unconsciously chewing his lip was any indication. “Hanzo-"

“Where do we stand, Jesse? What do you think of me? Now that you know I’m a cursed oni…” Hanzo whispered.

“It was… tough,” McCree admitted as he leaned back in his chair. “I mean, my whole job is - was - to kill demons. And then you came in and just confused the shit out of me.”

Hanzo pondered in silence as he poured his tea. “Why didn't you shoot me when you had the chance, when you first found out?”

“I knew I would regret it, even if it might have been easier,” the demon-hunter explained. “I don't think I'd be as happy if you weren't around. Especially if I _killed_ you.”

That made Hanzo’s heart hurt in what was now a familiar spot. “Oh,” he responded quietly.

“Look, Han - I like you a lot. I think I've decided that you being a demon doesn't change that. You made a mistake, did something bad; but I've done some nasty shit too.”

Hanzo hummed in gratitude as he finished his tea. “Thank you, Jesse; I like you as well.”

“Now see, there's my question,” McCree remarked with a grin. “ _How_ do you like me, Hanzo?”

“Jesse! Do not ask such things,” Hanzo spluttered.

But the other man would not let up. He got up from the kitchen table and moved to stand in front of Hanzo, their bodies only a foot apart as McCree stared down at him intensely. His eyes glimmered in amusement at Hanzo's discomfort. “Too late, I'm asking.”

Had it not been for the soothing effects of his evening tea, scales would already be forming on Hanzo's skin. Jesse was too much, he was also so intimidatingly charming and totally unlike any other man Hanzo had ever met. But could he say what he felt? He wasn't sure.

“I do not know if I deserve you, Jesse.”

“You have me already, Hanzo,” McCree vowed. “Just tell me if you want me.”

Inhaling deeply, Hanzo Shimada managed to let out a shaky ‘yes’. And with that, Jesse was in his personal space, chest pressed against Hanzo's own and arms wrapped tight around the smaller man like a vice grip.

“God, am I glad to hear that,” McCree declared. If his body felt anything like Hanzo's then the two shared a feeling of their hearts suddenly being too big for their chests, threatening to burst from all of the pure ecstasy and relief.

McCree pulled back just enough that he could look into Hanzo's eyes. Jesse's large, honey-colored eyes twinkled at him, gaze intense as he stared at Hanzo. “Can I kiss you, sweetheart?”

Hanzo couldn't take it anymore. He was more than happy to let his partner do whatever he wanted. “God yes,” he breathed, taking the initiative and pulling McCree in close.

Jesse's lips smashed into Hanzo's own with the energy of a starving animal. He tasted like whiskey, smoke, and something distinctly _him_. “Christ, Hanzo,” McCree as he pulled away to catch his breath, “I wanted to do that for so long.”

Every spot on Hanzo's body that Jesse had touched felt like it was on fire. “Me too,” he admitted as he gently touched his palm to McCree's cheek.

Jesse leaned into his hand, the man’s pupils widening as he stared at Hanzo intently, a smirk spread across his face. “Is there anything else you want to do, darling?”

Hanzo hummed coyly as he pecked another kiss on Jesse's wide smile. “Nothing in particular. But we have all night, so lead the way.”

 


	16. Eggs and Bacon

Hanzo woke the next morning to the pleasant but unfamiliar sensation of arms wrapped like a vice around his waist. As he wriggled in an attempt to loosen himself from his partner's grasp, he felt Jesse stir and pull him closer.

“Why’re you leavin’?” Jesse mumbled, nuzzling his cheek into the back of Hanzo's neck.

“The early bird gets the worm,” the shorter man chided.

McCree groaned at his stubbornness. “Let another bird get the damn worm for once, sugar.”

Hanzo hummed contentedly as he rolled over to look at the gunslinger lying next to him. “Perhaps,” he conceded. “It could be nice to stay in bed a little while longer.”

Jesse grinned from ear to ear and pecked a kiss to Hanzo’s lips. “Glad to hear it,” he purred as he scooted even closer to Hanzo, throwing a leg over his companion’s waist to pull him closer. Those honey eyes bored into Hanzo as cool metal fingers ran through his hair. “How did you sleep, darlin’?”

“Like a rock,” Hanzo admitted, surprised at the truth. “Perhaps you are my nightmare repellent.”

Jesse's pretty lips pursed into a pout. “You have ‘em a lot?”

“Nightly.”

“Damn, I'm glad I'm here then.”

“I am too,” Hanzo agreed with a smile. “Although your large bulk is quite difficult to fit comfortably in my bed; you were practically on top of me the whole night.”

“Oops,” Jesse jeered without any hint of sincerity. He reached back to grab his phone from the bedside table, nearly elbowing Hanzo in the process. “Oh hey, pops texted me - I bet he wants to make sure I'm not passed out on a bench totally wasted.”

“You should answer it,” Hanzo advised, placing his head on Jesse's shoulder to look at his screen.

“Interestin’ - It's about Mako; dad says he'll be fixed up in a few days.”

“‘Hola mijo, you better be sober enough to read this. Angela says your friend will be released from our emergency facility on Thursday. Spread the word.’ Hm, your father is a very formal messenger,” Hanzo observed.

Jesse snorted. “Yeah, he always sounds like he has a stick up his ass - doesn't matter if it's in person or not.”

“He probably has a stressful job, judging by how little he can talk about it,” Hanzo insisted. His partner just rolled his eyes. “Truly, Jesse, cut him some slack.”

“Yeah yeah, I guess he has been pretty understanding about everything.”

That got the oni’s attention. “You told him about me, didn't you?”

“Well, naturally, I mean-"

“I mean about my status as a cursed demon.”

Jesse sighed and put his phone back down on the bedside table before turning to look at Hanzo. “Yes Han, I'm sorry - I just… can't lie to him - he literally sees right through it - and I was confused about what to think of you.”

Hanzo couldn't bring himself to be mad at the man lying next to him, so he just let out a long sigh instead. Jesse was looking at him like a scolded puppy and somehow now he felt like he had done something wrong. “I am not mad at you, Jesse McCree - But I am curious what your father said when you told him.”

Jesse visibly relaxed. “Well, at first he was worried, but when I told him how mighty fine a gentleman you are he just told me to be careful. And to not do anything he wouldn't do,” he added as an afterthought.

That made Hanzo chuckle. “What would your father not do?” He figured the list would be pretty short for a middle-aged man who wears camouflage military fatigues, rides a motorcycle, and chain smokes cigarettes.

Jesse confirmed his theory when he smiled and answered “not much".

 

* * *

 

Eventually, Hanzo started to get antsy and pushed the large body of his companion out of his bed, much to Jesse’s dismay. Apparently the man was not an early riser - He nearly stumbled into the walls as they trudged over to the kitchen. Hanzo was by no means as sharp as he normally was during the day, but at least he could manage to pour himself water for his tea without burning himself - He would not trust Jesse to do the same.

They were both much more awake once they had sipped and chugged their tea and coffee. “Thanks for the caffeine, darlin’; I can’t get goin’ without it.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes as he rinsed their mugs out in the sink. “I see that now.” He was silent as he dried the dishes and put them back in the cupboard. “Should I contact Hana and the three of us can go get breakfast somewhere?”

“Hell yeah! Are there any diners in town?” Jesse sometimes reminded Hanzo more of a constantly-starving teenager than a thirty seven year old man.

“I'll see what I can find.”

Amazingly, there was not just one but several American diners in the small town of Kazamaura; the restaurants really catered to the influx of tourists (human and demon). But even if Hanzo was a bit miffed that the traditional town was turning over a new leaf, the shiny chrome and neon eateries were like heaven to Jesse McCree.

“You have no clue how happy I am that you found this place, Han,” the cowboy said with a grin as he pulled open the door to The Morning Sun Diner.

Hana responded in the archer's place. “We can tell, old man - It's plastered all over your face,” she teased.

“Well then, squirt, I'm glad to know I'm easy to read.” Jesse tipped his hat at the small girl as she rolled her eyes.

A cheerful waitress led them to their table and took their orders for drinks, blonde ponytail swishing as she glided from table to table. Hanzo noticed his male friend smile and wave at her but said nothing.

“Mako’s going to be out of the hospital soon,” McCree informed Hana in between sips of another cup of coffee.

“Really? That's awesome! I was so relieved when I heard that your dad and his team had found him,” she confided. “Jamie wasn't the same before we found out.”

“Understandably,” Hanzo pointed out. “Mako told me that he basically raised Jamie; the two of them have been together for twenty-one years.”

McCree let out a whistle. “That's one unique bond, tested by time and everything life’s thrown at them.”

The other two nodded. A natural silence descended on the group when their breakfast arrived, their server's blue eyes glittering in amusement as she watched McCree let out a loud whoop at the sight of his breakfast. It was an enormous plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. Hana had insisted on getting an entire stack of pancakes with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and strawberries, while Hanzo just ordered simple and classic eggs Benedict. He did not ask the two how their food was while they were ravenously devouring it for fear that they would choke trying to speak.

Once they had finally slowed down, he dared to ask the two how their meals were. The answer was a simultaneous “AMAZING!”

Hanzo cringed at their volume. “Inside voices, you two,” he chided as he speared another piece of his own breakfast with his fork.

“Sorry darlin’, I just haven't had a meal like this in a while; I mean, ramen’s great and all, but it gets old.”

Hana nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you guys have wayyy less native food than we do back home.”

“You just haven't found out about most of it,” Hanzo protested. “Neither of you are exactly adventurous eaters.”

“Hey, I'm adventurous!” Jesse pouted like Hanzo would expect Hana to in response; she only laughed. “I'll eat anything!”

“Oh really?” Hanzo offered his fork to his partner. “Then try this, it’s a relatively simple way to prepare eggs but I think you'll like it.”

“Sure - Give it to me,” Jesse challenged as he opened his mouth.

Hanzo felt his eye twitch as he fought the embarrassment that was rising within him. Not one to be outdone, he slowly and deliberately raised his fork towards the man sitting across from him. Jesse bit down on it eagerly, honey eyes on Hanzo the whole time. He sucked on the fork enthusiastically, slurping in gustatory pleasure as he -

The functioning part of Hanzo’s brain stopped that thought before it sank into the gutter when he remembered that Hana was present. He scolded himself for having such an immature moment and struggled to regain his composure.  

“Mmmm,” McCree chewed, licking the fork clean with his broad tongue once he was done.  “I like it - What's the white stuff on the eggs?”

“Hollandaise sauce,” Hanzo replied calmly, only inwardly freaking out.

“O.M.G will you two stop being so weird? You're making me lose my appetite,” Hana said through a bite of a pancake.

“I doubt that,” McCree retorted as he gobbled up two pieces of bacon.

Rolling his eyes, Hanzo flagged down the waitress to ask for the check. She noticed him immediately, heels ringing out on the floor as she walked over.

“How was everything?”

“Excellent, thank you,” Hanzo answered for all of them.

“I'm glad to hear it - Are all of you done ordering?” Her smile never left her face, and Hanzo honestly found it a bit unnerving.

“Yes,” he confirmed before the others could respond.

The server nodded. “I'll be right back with the check then.”

Jesse finally looked up from devouring the last of his meal, watching the server leave before looking at Hanzo. “You better not plan on paying, sweetheart.”

“Of course I am,” Hanzo scoffed. “It was my idea, and I invited the two of you out to eat.” He raised his chin slightly in challenge.

Hana just gave him a cheerful “thank you!” in response, but Jesse stared at him intensely. “Guess I'll just have to find a way to pay you back then,” he smirked.

Hanzo stuttered as he felt the tips of his ears burn. He was saved from having to respond when the check arrived. He paid the bill and left their server a generous cash tip before scooting out of the booth and trying to not run to the exit, thanking the woman on his way out.

Jesse gave her a warm smile as he passed. “Thanks for the food, Angie!”

Her face morphed into an expression of shock for a moment before it returned to her normal smile. “You're very welcome, sir,” she responded sweetly.

Hanzo waited until the three of them were outside until he turned to question the sheepish McCree. “Who was that?” The question came out more aggressive than he hoped it would.

“Ah, well, just a friend,” Jesse said as he scratched the back of his head. Hanzo had learned to recognize the gesture as one of his nervous ticks and it almost always meant that he was lying.

“Does she work with your father?”

Jesse groaned as Hanzo hit the nail on the head. “It's that easy to tell?”

“Of course,” Hana chimed as she looked up from her phone, “you're a terrible liar.”

“Thanks squirt,” McCree responded before addressing Hanzo. “Yeah, she’s a doctor who works with my dad. Really nice lady but an absolute workaholic - I'm not surprised she has another part-time job.”

Hanzo sighed in relief. “Ah, I see. She is very pretty.”

Jesse wrapped his arm around Hanzo's waist. “Oh? Were you jealous, honey?”

“Of course not! Just curious,” Hanzo assured him, unaware that he was visibly pouting.

“Right. Well since you're not jealous I don't have to tell you that you have nothing to worry about,” McCree snickered as he pecked a kiss on the other man's cheek.

Hana let out another loud “UGH" at their antics, reminding Hanzo to act his age.

He was also reminded of the world around him when he heard not only his phone, but two others buzz to alert their owners to a new text message.

Hana was he first one to read it. “Had a bit o’ trouble with some unexpected guests, can you all help a bloke move his stuff?” She looked up in worry, her brown eyes now large saucers. “Do you think something happened at Jamie and Mako’s place?”

“Doesn't sound too promising for Junkrat to be asking for help,” McCree scowled.

Hanzo moved to stand from the table. “I will tell him that the three of us are on our way."


	17. Kisses and Caresses

Jesse's horrendous driving was making more of an appearance in Hanzo's life than he ever wished, but the man put his discomfort aside for necessity’s sake.

Within ten minutes they had arrived at the Junkers’ impromptu home, a familiar smiley face on the garage door of the run-down house making it hard to miss. The whole thing was built into the side of a hill, making it hard to notice unless you were looking at it straight on. Someone, most likely a six-foot blonde with a peg leg, had done a terrible job of trying to disguise the building even further by (badly) spray-painting it camo.

It would have seemed abandoned had it not been for the clanging of machinery as Jamison worked on some unknown contraption. That, and the takeout containers filling the trash can outside of the front door.

Hanzo didn't see any buzzer, so just rapped his knuckles on the wooden door instead. The trio hardly waited a minute before McCree cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “JAMIE, WE’RE WAITING!”

There was a loud _thunk_ from within the house, like something heavy hitting the floor. “I'M COMIN’, BLIMEY!” The shout was good natured, even if it was followed by a string of curses as a distinct peg-leg hobbled downstairs. There was a long pause as the trio outside waited for the series of locks and deadbolts to be unlocked. Jamie smiled at them when he opened the door. “Oi, you blokes got here fast.”

“Jesse drove,” Hanzo explained.

That was all Junkrat needed to know. He simply smiled and let out a quick “Ah” before ushering them inside.

“So what's up, Jamie?” McCree took off his hat and balanced it on the railing of the old wooden stairs, every flat surface occupied by some sort of project.

“Well, I had some damn tin head break into my house and try to kill me, so that's somethin’.”

“Your assailant was an Omnic?” Hanzo had rarely heard reports of the machines causing trouble, but knew that Junkrat wouldn't be mistaken.

“Yup, metal through and through,” the Australian growled, leading them into the living room, where the upper half of an Omnic was on the floor, surrounded by a puddle of blue blood and a pile of torn metal.

Hanzo now understood why the house smelled of burnt circuitry. “You blew it up,” he stated.

“Yep.”

“In your house.”

“Yep.”

“In the middle of the day.”

“Yep.”

Hanzo was befuddled. “Do you solve every problem with explosions?”

"Only the ones I can’t solve with me charm,” Junkrat quipped with a smile. “But lookit the way the damn thing is dressed!” The explosives specialist poked the corpse with his peg leg. “It looked like any other Shimada lackey until I ripped its mask off,” he mused.

Sure enough, when Hanzo inspected the details of the uniform, he noticed the family crest and mantra. Picking at the lettering, he found that it was well embroidered; either a very-well done copy or the real thing. But either instance would still be confusing.

 McCree rubbed his chin, as Hanzo noticed he usually did when he was confused by something. “So either the Shimada are allied with Omnics, or someone wants to make us think they are. Interestin’.”

 “I think it's the first; what would someone gain by lyin’ to us about the Shimada-shitheads hiring tin cans?

 “I'm with Jamie on this one,” Hana piped up.

 Jamison did have a point; Hanzo could not think of any reason either. “We can discuss our thoughts on the matter in the car. Right now, it is more important to move Jamison and Mako’s things elsewhere.”

* * *

 

“So let me get this straight,” McCree began from the driver's seat. “the Shimada have always had shady dealings with Null Sector?”

Hanzo hummed in thought from the passenger seat beside him. “Yes, although when I was in Hanamura it was nothing that could be considered an “alliance”; the deviant Omnics just fed my family information in exchange for weapons that they otherwise would have trouble obtaining.”

“Wow,” the gunslinger whistled. “I can almost imagine! You, dressed up real fancy, meeting with a bot in a big ol’ board room, nearly scarin’ his non-existent balls off...”

Hana groaned from the backseat as Jamie cackled next to her. “How do you know they don't have balls, mate?” His question made the older man squirm.

“I dunno, it would just be weird! Like, why would robots focused on taking over the world also want to fuck?”

“Hey, don't judge them,” Hana teased.

McCree just looked at the pair of troublemakers silently in the rearview mirror. “Y’all are weird,” he concluded.

“Jesse,” Hanzo said sternly.

“Yeah, hon – _OOPS.”_ Jesse swerved unnecessarily harshly to avoid drifting into another lane. A loud horn blared behind them as Hanzo sighed.

“I am starting to think you should invest in driving lessons,” he observed.

“Hey, being a getaway driver for Deadlock for two years taught me two very important things: how to not flip over, and that speed is key!” McCree surprisingly did not take his eyes off of the road as he spoke, so Hanzo had difficulty gauging how serious the jokester was being.

“I cannot tell if you are being serious,” he said outwardly.

“I'm always serious, Han,” Jesse replied flirtatiously as he turned to give his partner a wink. The unexpected action caused the shy archer to cough and turn his head to resume looking out the window, a blush on his cheeks.

The rest of the ride was quiet, the young adults in the backseat preoccupied with chasing sleep, and Hanzo not daring to engage Jesse in conversation again for fear of embarrassment. Instead, he stole glances at the driver when he thought Jesse wasn't looking. The cowboy’s smile was still on his face, as usual, and Hanzo could not help but be impressed on how positive the man was. He wondered where the optimism came from. It was definitely not something that Gabriel Reyes had taught him; Hanzo was convinced that a McCree brought up by Gabriel alone would be a cynical, rough, and pessimistic creature. Jesse had never mentioned a mother, but perhaps there was some strong female figure in his life that had taught him to see the light in the world.

Hanzo's eyes traced the edge of Jesse's sharp face as he silently (but not subtly) observed his - Hanzo's brow furrowed in thought. What _was_ Jesse to him now? What were _they?_  He had never really given the topic much thought, worries that the dream would soon end outweighing any rational thinking he might have done. He made a mental note to ask Jesse later as he turned to look at Jamie and Hana in the backseat: the two were out cold, Hana not used to waking up early like today and Jamie always being too paranoid to sleep for extended periods of time. Hanzo was glad that the young adults were bonding, as he had always worried for Hana’s social life. She had her friends back in Korea, and a musician named Lucio that she would catch up with whenever he was in the country, but for the most part Hana was too isolated for Hanzo’s liking.

The oni was pulled from his thoughts when Jesse nudged him with an elbow. “We’re here,” the cowboy announced.

Hanzo nodded absentmindedly and got out of the car before opening the door to the backseat. “We have arrived; wake up.” They did not stir. “Hana, Jamie?”

“Let me,” McCree insisted, bending down to poke his head into the other side. “Hey, Jamison - rise and shine, partner,” he spoke, louder this time. When the blonde still didn’t stir, McCree reached his arm into the cabin and placed his good hand on Jamie’s shoulder to gently shake him. But as soon as it made contact, Hanzo could see Jamie jump awake - The Junker let out a loud shriek and instinctively snapped his head towards the contact.

“Ah, FUCK!” McCree let out a shout as he recoiled, hat flying off of his head. Startled and unable to see what was happening, Hanzo ran around to McCree only to see him clutching his hand in his prosthetic.

“What on earth happened?”

“The damned Junker fucking _bit me_ ,” Jesse hissed, moving his metal hand away to reveal to Hanzo a red and bleeding crescent-shaped bite mark.

Junkrat, now very awake and flustered, was red from embarrassment. “Oi, not my fault! Ya shouldn’t sneak up on a bloke like that!”

“It’s totally your fault!!! Yer not a fuckin’ wild animal!”

Hanzo flinched at McCree’s words, not entirely agreeing with the statement. Jamison and Mako were used to relying on their instincts to keep them alive, the very same instincts that some people considered basic and feral.

“Hey,” Hana cut in, “leave him alone. It was an accident, McCree.” She got out of the car and walked around to look at him. “It isn’t that bad.”

Jesse cradled his injury. “Look, I know it was an accident - It just hurts like a son of a bitch.”

“I-I’m sorry, mate,” Junkrat apologized as he exited their vehicle and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I-I just didn’t hear you coming.”

Hanzo, finally putting two and two together, looked at the explosives specialist curiously. “Are you having difficulty hearing?”  
  
“E-eh? Why do ya think that?” The man’s bright yellow eyes widened in surprise.

Hana let out a small, sad sigh before putting a hand on his shoulder. “Just admit it to them, Jamie.”

Another sigh as the terrifying Junkrat hunched over just a bit more. “Yeah, t-that gunshot took out a good chunk of me hearing. I normally try ta wear me earplugs but I didn’t bring ‘em that day…”

Hanzo pointedly looked at McCree, who was now the one bright red in the face instead of Jamie. The gunslinger dropped his gaze. “S-Sorry, I had no clue.”

“It’s a’ight, I didn’t want to admit it to myself for a good while.”

“I only knew because I guessed a bit earlier than you did, Hanzo,” his friend explained.

“I understand,” Hanzo nodded. “We will try to be more careful in the future,” he added to Junkrat, who only gave a grateful smile.

Hana looked like she was about to say something else but was distracted when she saw the familiar figure of Zenyatta approaching. “Hiya, Zen,” she said with a smile and wave.

The Omnic monk dipped his head as he reached the group. “Greetings, Hana, Hanzo, Jesse.” The sleek metal head turned to look at the wary Australian. “I do not believe we have met before; my name is Tekhartha Zenyatta.”

Zenyatta, this is Jamie,” Hana said with a nudge to the ribs of the man standing next to her. “Jamie, this is Zenyatta, a _very wise_ and _kind_ monk who has been _gracious enough_ to let McCree _and_ _now you_ stay here.”

Either intentionally or unintentionally not getting the hint, Junkrat just gave Zenyatta a reserved “hey” as he remained in place and watched the machine’s movements.

Anxious to ease the awkward tension, Hanzo opened the car’s trunk and led everyone inside, McCree, and Junkrat also carrying boxes of the Australian’s belongings. Hana and Zenyatta followed behind them, chatting idly. Every once in a while, Hanzo swore he heard his name, but decided not to think too much of it.

After several hours of unpacking, Junkrat was finally settled in, mounds of scrap metal and various tools strewn about the floor as he resumed working. Making sure to thank Zenyatta again, Hanzo followed McCree and Hana back to the car as they made their leave - The sun had only just disappeared behind the clouds, and as tempting his thoughts might be Hanzo preferred to sleep in his own bed.

* * *

Hanzo never understood how Hana could fall asleep when Jesse was driving, but somehow she was passed out in the backseat _again._ It must have been another late night playing Starcraft for the tired girl. It took him a while to finally muster up the courage, but eventually Hanzo finally worked up the courage to say “Jesse, I have something to ask you.”

McCree glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “What is it, honeybuns?”

“What is our… status?”

That got the other man to look at him. Jesse turned to look at him, his honey-sweet eyes widening slightly before he returned his gaze to the road. A hint of a blush was now on his cheeks. “Whatever you want it to be, darling,” he said quietly.

Hanzo smiled a little bit despite himself. “So we can be… together?”

“Of course, I was hoping you’d ask.” McCree grinned. “Shucks, I’ll bet pops will be happy to hear it; and I bet he’ll also yell at me that I should have asked you sooner, save you the embarrassment n’ all that.”

The demon’s heart felt warm and full as he reassuringly responded, “Do not worry, I am just happy that we are on the same page.” And _oh boy_ , was he happy.


	18. Eating and Scheming

Hanzo woke the next morning to Jesse McCree leaning over him, tea in one hand and a brown doggie bag in the other. Hanzo smiled at him sleepily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “You are up surprisingly early.”

“Good morning to you too, sugar plum; I bought you breakfast,” Jesse chuckled with a smile. “We have a lot to get done today - I want to look over the intel we got from the last raid in Mutsu.”

Hanzo sat up and gently kissed his gunslinger on the cheek. “Thank you, Jesse; good thinking.” Stomach growling at him impatiently, Hanzo dug through the bag that McCree had brought him. There was a styrofoam package containing still-warm eggs benedict, a container of extra Hollandaise sauce, and a box with a small fruit tart. A smile tugged at the archer’s lips when he realized Jesse had remembered the discussion they had about their favorite foods. “You went to the diner again?” The question came out garbled through the mouthful of food, but his partner still understood.

“Yup. Aside from working on the weekends, Angie also works there on Monday mornings.” Jesse took a swig of that nasty bean juice called “coffee” he liked so much from a bottle on the bedside table, laughing as Hanzo wrinkled his nose at the sight.

“She is a busy woman,” Hanzo observed.

“Very - Especially since her and another doctor in Overwatch have been putting in a lot of extra hours to make sure that Mako is alright.” Jesse snapped his fingers as he seemed to remember something. “Oh yeah, pops said he’ll be dropping the big bloke off at the temple tomorrow; he’s all healed.”

“Excellent,” Hanzo hummed, placing aside the empty breakfast container and moving to take a bite out of the fruit tart. “Let me finish my breakfast and get dressed, and then we will leave.”

 

* * *

 

As per usual, Hanzo somehow managed to keep his meal down on the drive to Osorezan. They were greeted by Zenyatta and Jamison outside, the former responding calmly to the latter’s loud voice. Junkrat smiled at the pair when he spotted them. “Good mornin’, mates! Where’s the lil’ sheila?”

“Hana is out at the market today; she said that she ‘can’t always be slacking off,’” Hanzo explained. “She is a young adult trying to make a living for herself.”

“Well if this grand scheme of ours goes well she probably won’t have much to worry about,” McCree countered, lighting a cigar. “I bet those Shimada have enough money stored away to keep us all comfortable.”

Junkrat nodded, his crooked grin widening. “And it’d sure as hell pay better than demon hunting!”

Hanzo shifted his gaze towards the quiet Omnic, wondering what Zenyatta thought about their plan. “How are you, Zenyatta? I don’t think you’ve gotten a word in since Jesse and I arrived.”

There seemed to be an increased brightness behind the metal faceplate as Zenyatta turned to address the oni. “I am well. Your friend, however, still seems confused by my lack of desire to harm him.”

Three sets of eyes landed on Junkrat curiously. The Australian fidgeted beneath the scrutiny, not used to being paid so much attention. “Oi, don’t blame me! It ain’t me fault that all of the bots back in ‘Straya came out of the factory ready to kill ya. I’ve never had the luxury knowin’ a friendly one before.”

“We don’t blame ya, it’s just funny,” McCree snickered. 

Junkrat's face turned red from embarrassment and he huffed loudly as he hobbled inside. Deciding that they had teased him enough, the other three men followed him in.

Hanzo sat down on the floor of the temple's main chamber, opening the bag at his side and dumping its contents on to the floor. McCree sat down across from him, picking up a stack of papers. “Ugh, this is not how I like spending my day.”

With an eye roll, Hanzo snatched the document away. “You are the one who suggested it, Jesse. You are more than welcome to do as you please if you have had a change of heart, but then you won't get to know the juicy secrets first.”

McCree, so easily baited, stuck his tongue out as he picked up another file. “Fine, I bet I'll find the good shit before you do.”

“I doubt it, you read at a snail's pace.”

 

* * *

 

A few hours and an inordinate amount of paper later, Hanzo and Jesse had stumbled on a goldmine of Shimada secrets, some more important than others: the current C.E.O was having at least eight affairs, one hundred and thirty-six agents were working undercover in Japan's police force, and… there was a secret base hidden under an apple orchard between the Bodaiji Temple and Sai? Hanzo double and triple-checked the information, but sure enough there were several files that all pointed to the same thing.

He shoved the paper into McCree’s lap. “Jesse - There is a Shimada base not far from here. It is a top secret location that most of the grunts are not even familiar with, and they appear to be housing something incredible valuable there.”

The gunslinger’s eyes widened. “Shit.”

“Go get Jamison,” Hanzo ordered. McCree did not argue, and nearly ran to the other end of the temple where Junkrat and him were living. Now alone, Hanzo frowned as he pondered the implications of what this discovery meant ーwhatever was hidden there, it was obviously something that the Shimada wanted to keep secret, and wanted to keep safe.

He was interrupted from his musings by the loud roar of a motorcycle. Brow furrowing, Hanzo made his way to the main entrance to see McCree’s foster father removing his helmet and placing it on the seat of the bike.

“Gabriel,” Hanzo said with a small bow. “I did not expect to see you again so soon.”

The man snickered at Hanzo’s formality. “Hóla ー I was trying to get in touch with Jesse, but the _idiota_ isn’t answering his phone. Do you know what he’s up to?”

Hanzo would be surprised when he got used to how Gabriel referred to his foster son. “Yes, Jesse has been helping me go through the files from Shimada Transportation headquarters and just went to get Jamison. I can go find him for you,” he offered.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Gabriel waved dismissively. “I just wanted to check in on him and tell that crazy blonde Australian that his friend will be coming back soon.” A scarred hand stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But now that we’re here, I have a question for you: Would you like to join Blackwatch?”

“Blackwatch?” Hanzo had heard McCree mention the covert-ops division of Overwatch briefly, but the gunslinger had always shut up as soon as he brought it up, the group obviously not being something he was supposed to talk about.

“Yeah; from what I’ve heard from Jesse, you’re a pretty good shot. I mean, we’d have to keep the demon thing under wraps, but I think you would be a valuable asset.” Gabriel gave him a look like he was determining the worth of a piece of meat, one that made Hanzo shift uncomfortably.

“I am honored,” Hanzo began, “but I have unfinished business of my own that I must take care of first, and after I am done with that, I hope for the rest of my life to be uneventful.”

Gabriel shrugged, only slightly disappointed. “I get it; hopefully you’ll get to spend the rest of that uneventful life with Jesse-”

 _“HEY!”_ Hanzo smiled when he saw McCree running up to them; he was red in the face, but from what, Hanzo wasn’t sure. “Don’t you go embarrassing me while I ain’t here, old man!”

“Oops,” Jesse’s foster father sneered. “You know that’s my job, mijó.”

McCree groaned. “No it ain’t,” he argued. “And stop botherin’ Han; why are you even here?”

“I came here to tell Jamison that Mako will be back tomorrow,” Gabe explained. “He’s mostly recovered, but should not definitely not be allowed in combat for some time. He might be unstable.”

“Whaddya mean, ‘unstable’?”

“Look, mijo, I'll be frank with you: the man only made it because he was demonized,” Gabriel deadpanned. “He's the same now as your boyfriend over here, and he's having a hard time coming to terms with it.”

Hanzo frowned as he recalled how difficult the first few weeks of being an oni had been for him, and grimaced when he thought of how much worse it would be for Roadhog; the man’s most recent job had been to _kill_ demons, and there was no telling how Junkrat would react. “I will make sure to speak with him,” Hanzo assured Gabriel. “Hopefully I can be of some comfort.”

McCree had grown silent at the news. “I'll try to do what I can, too,” he agreed, his lips pressed into a thin line creating a determined, resolute expression. Hanzo had not seen that face on the cowboy for a while.

“Then he’ll be fine,” Gabriel concluded. “I'm going to get back to the base to make sure Mako gets cleared for return tomorrow; adiós.” The man left quickly, as he usually did, not one to waste time with pleasantries.

McCree, playing out the part of the rebellious teenager, stuck out his tongue and flipped the bird at the retreating figure. Gabriel, without even bothering to look up from his motorcycle, shot Jesse the middle finger back as he sped off. The exchange left Hanzo laughing raucously, amazed at how well the pair knew each other and how Jesse was inarguably an immature boy trapped in an aging body.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day was not as humorous, spent discussing the details of the information gathered and a plan of infiltration. Hana had been called and put on speaker so that she could voice her own ideas. As soon as the call connected, Junkrat, McCree, and Hanzo were greeted by a loud shout from the other line.

“O.M.G. I CAN FINALLY GET TO USE MY M.E.K.A!”

“Hana,” Hanzo began with an amused sigh, “we don’t even know if it would make sense to bring it.” He continued when he heard an annoyed huff on the other end of the call before the girl could interject. “I only say so because the ideas we had for the mission so far would make it more of a stealth mission.”

“Well hang on, Han, if this is base is hiding something very valuable, we might want the firepower.” Jesse, seated to Hanzo's right on the steps of the temple, put his hand on the archer’s shoulder. Hanzo frowned as McCree gave him a sly smile, one that he usually only saw when the cowboy was trying to win him over. “Shortie’s mech might be useful.”

Obviously too happy to even scold McCree, Hana let out a cheer. “Yeah!”

Junkrat took a long sip of bubble tea from his canteen before engaging in the conversation. “Remind me what they said was there again? Some kind of computer-thing-a-ma-jig?”

“They have a server room there, Jamie. A relay for the Shimada intranet is there.”

“Intranet?”

“Their internal network of computers. If we can get into that, we have access to every Shimada device connected to it.” Hana’s voice was gentle as patiently reminded the forgetful Australian of the information.

McCree nodded at the phone in Hanzo's hand despite himself. “Right, and that's where my step-sis comes in; she's the only one I know who could get us into the system.”

Hanzo glanced at the gunslinger beside him. “Gabriel could not?”

That made Jesse nearly drop his cigar as he guffawed in laughter. “N’aw, pops is terrible with technology; he usually ends up just throwing the offending device ‘gainst a wall if Sombra ain't there to fix it.” All four of them snickered at the image of the normally-stoic Gabriel Reyes going red in the face as he shouted at a computer before throwing it against the nearest hard surface.

“But I still get to bring my M.E.K.A, right?” Hanzo could picture the grin on Hana’s face, and the image tugged on his heartstrings. All it took were pointed looks from Jamie and Jesse to cave his defenses;  he seemed to be the only one concerned about the mission.

“Fine,” he sighed, “but you are responsible for transporting it on your own.”

Hana cheered happily and thanked him in Korean, the language foreign to Jamie and Jesse; which was good, because she also slyly said that she would make sure to help Hanzo out with his relationship in return. “I knew you’d give in eventually,” she said in English with a laugh.

Jesse nudged Hanzo pointedly, smiling at him. “’Course he would, he can’t say ‘no’ to my rugged charm,” McCree drawled. Hana and Jamie groaned at the exchange.

“Let’s stay focused,” Junkrat said with an eyeroll. He ignored Hana’s derisive snort as he continued. “So when do we want to do this? I wanna get me hands on some bots as soon as possible!”

“I was thinking tomorrow,” Hanzo answered. “I am also eager to begin this mission, unless anyone feels otherwise.” When he was met with silence, he addressed Hana. “Can you have the M.E.K.A in the field and ready for combat at dusk tomorrow?”

“Definitely,” Hana said determinedly.

“Excellent. I will send you the coordinates and the three of us will meet you there.”

 


	19. Reunions and Departures

The three men rose early the next day to await Roadhog’s arrival. Zenyatta, of course, was already up, but no one wanted to disturb his morning meditation with their petty matters. It was not long before a small aircraft appeared, sleek and black and very different from the bulky Overwatch Orcas that Jesse had described to Hanzo and Jamie in the past. It was a strange cross between a helicopter and a plane, its rotating top blades suspending the closed jet in the air as it prepared to land.

Hanzo had never seen something like this before - He had flown on planes and enjoyed the sensation, but this strangle vehicle was foreign to him. He tugged on Jesse's sleeve and raised his eyebrows in question.

McCree smiled and cupped his hand as he spoke into Hanzo’s ear, having to raise his voice because of all the background noise. “It's called a V.T.O.L, stands for 'Vertical Take-Off and Landing’ aircraft. It's used to transport people that are either high-security targets or who don’t want to be seen.”

That made sense, especially since if Roadhog had ridden in a normal helicopter any person with a pair of binoculars would see his demon form and associate it with Blackwatch; that would _not_ be good for public opinion. Hanzo smiled and bowed his head to Jesse in a silent thank-you before returning his gaze to the aircraft.

The force of the wind flattened the grasses of the temple lawn against the ground as the Blackwatch aircraft made contact with the earth, only straightening back up again once the blades had slowed. The door slid open to reveal Gabriel Reyes in full uniform, hair staying in place despite the wind generated by the vehicle he was piloting. He gave the group a strained smile before turning their backs on them at the sound of another door opening.

Slowly, Roadhog’s hulking form came into view. Very much alive, there were only a few bandaged areas on his body, but now several tattoos ran up his arms and face, and poking out from his white hair were two pairs of curving gray horns.

Junkrat made a strange noise in his throat at the sight, the emotion indecipherable, but he ran up to his friend without hesitation and wrapped his arms around him. “Roadie! You’re okay! I was so worried!”

Mako’s scarred face frowned down at Jamie. “Yeah, sorry,” he huffed, embarrassed. The man did not wear his heart on his sleeve but even he was moved at the reunion, despite being worried about what Jamie was thinking.

The shorter blonde pulled back to examine Roadhog, a nervous smile on his face. “You scared the livin’ daylights outta me, mate; don’t ya ever do that again!” His eyes fell to the big arm before him, and he took it in his hands. Hanzo, standing a respectable distance from the pair, noticed now the gleam of wiring as Jamie twisted Mako’s arm to inspect it ーa prosthetic.

“What happened?” Jamie’s voice grew softer again as he looked upwards.

“It got infected,” Mako explained. He placed his good hand on the Australian’s shoulder when the explosives specialist went to snarl at Gabe. “Don’t blame them,” he huffed. “Now we match.”

Jamie couldn’t hold back anymore at that point, tears leaving streaks on his face as he began to cry against his will. “Right, now we match,” he sniffed, chest heaving. “But that’s not what I wanted! You were always the indestructible one, ya know? I was supposed to be the only one losin’ me limbs!”

Hanzo took a step forward, his heart aching for Jamison. He couldn’t imagine how Hana would feel if she found out about Hanzo; call it selfish, but he wanted to spare her from this. “He _is_ indestructible now, Jamison; as long as he is even somewhat wary, nothing can hurt him anymore.”

Gabriel, having respectfully kept his distance, walked up to Junkrat in the silence that follows Hanzo’s words and placed a hand on his shoulder. “The demon’s right; he’d know better than any of us.”

“Okay, if ya say so…” Jamie, finally seeming convinced, wiped the last of the tears from his face. “Glad to have you back, Mako.”

“It's good to be back,” Roadhog said with a smile. “Blackwatch has this weird Irish scientist that kept begging for blood samples - She said I was ‘an incredible specimen’,” he chortled with an eye roll.

Junkrat snickered. “Wow, didya do it?”

“No,” Mako huffed. “Candy isn't enough to bribe me.”

“Wait, she would have given ya sweets?! That changes everythin’!” Jamie's sooty, tear-streaked face lit up at the mention of sugar.

A large arm reached into a bag very small by comparison as Roadhog wordlessly pulled out a small, shiny package and offered it to Junkrat. “I stole some for you anyway. But no begging.”

“YEEEESSSSSS,” Jamie cackled loudly. “You're the best, Roadie!” He unwrapped the candy frantically, nearly dropping it in the process before finally popping the yellow ball into his mouth.

McCree was smiling again, Mako’s amusing story very familiar to the former Blackwatch operative. “I'm glad you had the common sense to avoid Moira as much as possible,” Jesse grinned. “She's relentless if you ever show any sign of weakness.”

Gabriel shot the gunslinger a half-assed glare. “Respect your elders, cabrón. Moira is a brilliant doctor, researcher, and scientist. I'd love to see you accomplish what she has some day.”

“At least I don't value my pet rabbits over my teammates,” Jesse countered. Hanzo could not help but chuckle at the comeback, earning a wide smile from the man at his side.

Gabriel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have no clue how you can put up with this joker on a regular basis, Shimada.”

Hanzo eyeballed Jesse next to him, the corners of his lips ever so slightly pulled upwards. “Well when you've been alone as long as I have, any company is better than none.”

A loud chorus of laughter erupted while McCree clasped at his chest dramatically. “You're so cruel, darlin’!” Hanzo did not humor Jesse as he grabbed the gunslinger’s metal hand and pulled him inside, Junkrat and Roadhog following behind them. Gabriel gave them a shouted “Good luck!” before returning to the pilot’s seat.

* * *

 

As they began to finalize the plan of attack for the evening, Hanzo noticed a fatal flaw - they had not accounted for the base’s defenses. When he expressed his concerns to Jesse, he received a gentle chuckle.

“You're losing your edge, sweetpea,” McCree goaded. “To think that I thought of that before you did…” He let out a whistle as he raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

The introverted Shimada flushed at the teasing and clenched his jaw. “What is your ingenious plan? Do educate us,” Hanzo growled.

Jesse held up his hands in surrender when he realized he had been too aggressive with his taunting. “I must confess, it was really Gabe’s idea. He reminded silly me that one of my good friends makes a living from exploiting people's electronics. I’ll have her hack their systems, disable all of their alarms and any sort of automated traps. We still have to sneak over there on foot, just so the guards don’t see or hear us coming, but this way they’ll be totally cut off from the outside world.”

“I like that!” Hana’s excited voice crackled through the speaker of Hanzo's phone as she worked on testing every aspect of her M.E.K.A. for the evening's mission. “Can you introduce me? She sounds cool!”

Jesse rolled his eyes before sweetly responding, “Of _course_ , short-stuff!” He then cupped his hand around his mouth and muttered to Jamie and Hanzo, “I just knew she’d ask that.”

Hanzo was silent while Jamie cackled, slapping his thigh and releasing a puff of soot.

Mako, who had been silent while he attentively listened to the plan, took the break in the conversation as an opportunity to speak up. “What about me?” The huffed question was curious and patient, lacking any aggressiveness.

McCree shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I think it'd be best if ya stay here, Mako. You're not healed yet.” He almost added “physically _or_ mentally” but was somehow able to hold his tongue.

Jamie gestured at Mako animatedly in agreement. “Yeah! Just look at ya! You're in no shape to fight, I don't care what yakuza over here says,” he added as he jerked a thumb at Hanzo.

Mako stayed quiet as he looked at Hanzo, silently asking his opinion.  The Shimada bowed his head in apology. “I'm sorry, Mako, but I must admit that I agree.”

Roadhog sighed heavily as his shoulders visibly deflated. “Figures.”

Junkrat hobbled over to put his arms around his big friend. “Hey, it's a nice break! You can do whatever you want - Catch some z’s, get totally pissed, anythin’.”

“More like ‘clean up after the rat while he's gone’,” Mako huffed.

“That works too! Ya know how much I hate cleanin’." Jamie gave the big demon another squeeze before straightening up. “Well I think it's about time we get going, so I'll see ya later, Roadie!”

Jesse and Hanzo both said their goodbyes as well before making their way to the front of the temple. Zenyatta wished them luck as they began the walk to the orchard. The temple seemed almost eerily quiet without the banter that had recently become commonplace.

 


	20. Attack and Defense

Leaving a very lonely Mako Rutledge to spend the night alone at the Bodaiji Temple, sweeping with a broom that seemed miniature in his oversized hands, his friends began their assault on the secret Shimada base far to the west in Sai. It took some time to locate Hana and her large mech on the outskirts of the orchard, but eventually the bright pink machine and her small form came into view.

Hana gave each of them a hug before stepping backwards, a smile on her lips. “So the plan's still the same as we discussed earlier?”

“Indeed,” Hanzo affirmed with a nod. “You and Jamie will deal with the base's human defenses as Jesse and I remain undetected underground in hopes of seeing what information his friend can get from their computer system. Then we leave.”

“Simple enough,” McCree said with a sly grin. He removed Peacekeeper from her holster and clicked off the safety. “This should be fun.”

“Of course it will be! These shitheads may not be Null Sector bots, but they're still fun to blow up!” Jamie threw an arm over Hana's shoulder as he spoke, the two wearing matching expressions of excitement.

Hanzo, despite being worried for their safety, found the youngsters’ enthusiasm contagious, and felt the corners of his own mouth twitch upwards. “Be safe, Jesse and I will wait here until you give us the signal.”

Hana nodded, jumping into her M.E.K.A as Junkrat scratched his chin in confusion. “There was a signal?”

Somehow resisting the urge to smack his forehead with his palm, Hanzo was about to respond when the giant mech arm wrapped around Junkrat's waist. He gave a shrill shout of surprise that was drowned out by the sound of the engines as Hana guided her battle machine forward, the bright pink object gradually becoming a blur as it sped out of sight. After he watched them go, Hanzo bent down to unlock his bow case and retrieve his own supplies. McCree watched him idly, blowing smoke rings as he waited silently. The sounds of gunfire could be heard when Hanzo straightened up, gear and weapons at the ready. Jesse tried to say something over the sound, but his voice was drowned out, mouth moving wordlessly.

“What did you say, Jesse?”

McCree looked embarrassed as he occupied himself with putting out his cigar, a slight blush to his cheeks. He was glad Hanzo had not heard what he said. “Oh, I just have somethin’ to tell ya when this mission is over, sweetpea.”

Hanzo found himself unable to answer, as the sound of several loud rocket explosions drowned out his response.

“I believe that is Hana's signal; let us go.”

“Yes, let's.”

 

* * *

 

The sounds of their footsteps muffled by detonating frag grenades and suppressive fire, Hanzo and McCree slowly approached the large warehouse. Hanzo’s keen eyes noticed that the other duo had already blasted a large hole into the side of the building, about twenty-five feet off of the ground, while Hana and Jamie dealt with and distracted the guards at the main entrance.

McCree’s eyebrows hitched upwards when he also noticed the opening above them. “Well damn,” he whispered. “Those kids really ain’t wastin’ any time.”

“Nor should we,” Hanzo agreed. He turned around, facing his back to McCree, and crouched lower to the ground. “Get on my back.”

“Darlin’, I thought you just said that we shouldn’t waste any time; is now the time for a piggyback ride? I mean, I’m not complaining, but…”

Hanzo glared at Jesse over his shoulder, huffing in annoyance at the amusement in the other man’s eyes. “McCree, I can climb this wall with you on my back or thrown over my shoulder, whatever you decide. But if you are not quick about it, I am going to choose for you.” McCree smiled quietly as he wrapped his arms around Hanzo’s torso. The oni transformed, sprouting a thick tail that effectively gave the other man a (somewhat uncomfortable) seat. His skin stretched as his body slowly expanded, scales poking out from his flesh.

McCree instinctively locked his legs together in front of Hanzo, giving a surprised yelp as the demon jumped at the wall. Hanzo’s claws sank into the warehouse’s wall about fifteen feet off of the ground, the metal letting out a shrill screech as it was ripped open. Grinding his teeth and pinning his ears back at the terrible noise, he scurried up to the edge of the hole that Hana’s M.E.K.A had blasted open, just high enough that he could look inside.

The building appeared to be one large, main room, minus some doors and stairways that led to other areas. Occupying most of this space was a gigantic server complex, emblazoned with the Shimada logo. It looked like there would normally be guards stationed here, but they had since been called to the main entrance to help fight off the threat that was Hana and Jamie. Hanzo looked around once more before crawling through the hole and jumping down to the ground. McCree unwrapped himself from around his partner, sighing in relief as his feet touched solid ground.

“Well, that got the blood pumping,” Jesse chuckled. “Now let's get that information for Sombra and disable the security system.”

Hanzo nodded curtly as the two of them dashed towards the massive electric tower. McCree had already pulled out a flash drive when they approached the server, tuning his comm in to Sombra’s frequency.

“Sombra, are you there? We're inside, where should I put this damn drive?”

Hanzo could not hear her response, but whatever she said made McCree blush a bit and grind his teeth. “NO, SOMBRA,” he growled loudly, “I DON'T KNOW WHAT HOLE TO PUT IT IN - THAT'S WHY I ASKED.”

“ _Jesse_ ,” Hanzo hissed, willing him to be quiet.

“Alright, alright,” McCree mumbled, finally finding a slot to insert the drive. “There, it's in. Are you getting anything?"

Hanzo waited patiently for her to respond, watching Jesse as he listened to his friend's instructions.

When McCree gave a smile of affirmation, Hanzo couldn't help but smile back. “She's in, says there is a goldmine of intel in there, but she's going to try and sift through it to grab the important stuff.”

“Excellent.” Hanzo looked around warily, surprised that only about a dozen guards had been assigned to protect such a valuable asset. Hana and Junkrat sounded as if they were making quick work of the Shimada troops at the main entrance, from the decreasing noise levels. It all felt too-

 **BOOM**.

The floor behind Hanzo and Jesse erupted, sending dust and chunks of stone everywhere as what seemed like an explosion halted the smooth sailing of their plan.

When something within the cloud of dust gave a terrible roar, it became clear that this was no explosion.

From the hole that had formed, a giant, shadowy form emerged, the details of which only became clear once the dust settled.

Hanzo recognized the creature instantly: it was a Tsuchigumo, a spider demon, that had apparently been kept beneath this warehouse. Now, with any security measures disabled and all personnel either dead or preoccupied, the demon had busted out of its holding facility; and it was not happy.

The six red eyes of the bus-sized demon glowed with an unbridled fury, its mandibles snapped in impatience, its legs skittered and its dark mane whipped in the wind. Hanzo hesitated for a brief moment. Then, he thought of the people he had to protect, and rushed towards it fearlessly. He was the only one who could fight this atrocity; he would win, or -

No. He had to win.

He jumped at the creature with a ferocity that would have startled himself if he had been able to focus on anything but the battle. He landed on its head, claws outstretched, as he raked his hands down the dry, tough skin. The creature screeched, rearing in pain.

“SHOOT ITS EYES, JESSE!” Hanzo's voice boomed over the explosions and inhuman screaming, loud enough to shake McCree out of his shock.

The gunslinger fired, aiming down the sights of his revolver as he tracked the movement of the reeling demon. Two loud bangs echoed through the warehouse as the creature shrieked again, shaking in pain as two of its eyes began to pour thick, black, blood. The Tsuchigumo, now less concerned with Hanzo, swiped at Jesse with a long, powerful leg.

The man was not able to dive out of the way fast enough as the appendage collided with his side, throwing him a good ten feet before his body finally tumbled to a stop. Peacekeeper clattered from his hand.

Hanzo, furious, jumped down onto the extended spider leg. A satisfying crack reached his ears as one of the joints snapped, the now-useless limb buckling. He glanced over at Jesse, relieved to see him stumbling to his feet and towards his weapon. He was about to chide the man for his recklessness but was stopped short by the feeling of mandibles snatching at his torso. Feeling himself lifted off of the ground, Hanzo struggled in the iron grip as he clawed and bit with all of his might. The Tsuchigumo crushed him further between its mandibles, and Hanzo heard (and felt) some of his ribs crack. He had managed to keep from crying out in pain until he felt a pair of fangs sink down into his back, a burning sensation searing the muscles. Gasping, he grit his teeth and managed to muster enough strength to push the mandibles apart, the spider's jaw snapping closed beneath him as he fell to the ground. McCree firing a flurry of bullets at the demon gave him enough time to get to cover, diving behind a nearby shipping crate to avoid drawing attention to the server tower.

“Hana, Jamie! Are you done with the guards outside?!” Hanzo hissed into his communicator, hearing the flurry of bullets on the other end of the line.

“Just a few left, Hanzo! We're coming!” Junkrat could be heard over Hana's voice, his maniacal laughter accompanied by the sound of his grenades.

 _“Come faster!”_ Hanzo growled, another leg barely missing him as it slammed down next to his hiding place. He didn't bother to listen to any response as he lunged at the retreating limb. Grabbing at the hair, he once again pulled himself towards the head of the demon. Now he was certain that he felt venom coursing through his veins; the trouble he had holding on to the hairy leg was no argument. He managed to reach the creature’s skull again, the Tsuchigumo shaking as it tried to dislodge the nuisance. Hanzo reached down and grabbed at one of its mandibles, pulling with all of his might. The jawbone snapped, Hanzo nearly tumbling off of the demon from the sudden loss of resistance. The gigantic spider demon roared in anger and pain and rolled on to its back; Hanzo felt the wind pushed out of his lungs as he was crushed beneath several tons of arachnid mass.

Then, suddenly, the pressure was gone. Hanzo stumbled to his feet to see the Tsuchigumo retreating, running towards the entrance where Hana and Jamie were dealing with the human defensive forces. Hanzo cursed under his breath, giving chase. He could hear McCree firing at the demon, the bullets whizzing past Hanzo and seeming to have no effect on the rough skin. The monster burst through the main doors, flattening a Shimada guard in its haste to escape.

“STOP IT!” Hanzo shouted at the now-visible bubblegum pink mech and explosives specialist as he rushed after the demon, gritting his teeth as he urged his body to move faster.

Hana moved to block the Tsuchigumo, pelting it with bullets from the machine guns on her M.E.K.A. It worked momentarily as the creature reeled from the impact, some of the rounds finding purchase in the softer flesh of its face; but then it lunged at Jamie, swiping at him as it tried to avoid its new pink, metal attacker. Junkrat tried to move out of the way by detonating concussion mine, but the creature’s demonic reflexes were _much_ faster. The blow connected, and the Australian was thrown nearly fifty feet into the air.

“ _Jamie!_ ” Hanzo heard Hana’s shrill shout through the comm link. His breath hitched as he watched Jamie plummet towards the ground, finally giving out a sigh of relief when the M.E.K.A shot forwards and caught him.

The spider demon took the opportunity to pounce at the pair, Hana’s focus now diverted to helping Jamie. Hanzo watched as the Tsuchigumo slammed in to her, the M.E.K.A stumbling from the impact and the force of the blow leaving a sizeable dent in the outer shell. Junkrat jumped from the arms of the mech, lobbing several bombs at the Tsuchigumo to help try to divert its attention. He was somewhat successful, in that the huge demon turned to face him, but his frag launcher was smacked from his hand in the process. The monster let out a noise similar to a cackle as it turned back to Hana, pouncing the mech. It sliced at one of her machine guns with half of the jaw that it had left, severing the wires. Hanzo could see the red error messages lighting up on the glass in front of Hana, more and more appearing as the Tsuchigumo continued to hack away at her weapons. The M.E.K.A managed to shoot off another of the hairy legs, causing the large demon to lash out at her with another limb. The blow collided with a loud thud, denting in the top of the mech. Hana now barely had enough room inside of the robot, as the metal came closer and closer to her body from the force of the blows. She moved backwards to re-engage the Tsuchigumo from a safer distance, but now it was once again unopposed, and it continued to skitter away.

Hanzo was slowly gaining on it, his smaller form giving him the advantage, but he was unsure of how long it would take to close the last dozen yards.  

His worry was interrupted by a large van that slammed into the side of the spider demon, briefly knocking it over. Hanzo caught up to the Tsuchigumo just in time to see Roadhog emerge from the wreckage of the totaled car. Considering the collision would have killed any human, he did not look any worse for wear - There were a few new cuts and bumps now littered across his skin, and his breathing was a bit heavy, but other than that Mako appeared fine.

“Well,” Hanzo began with a smile, “that was quite the grand entrance. How did you know what was happening?”

“The monk sensed a big thing,” Roadhog huffed. “I wanted to help,” he added, turning towards the Tsuchigumo as it got to its feet.

“Well… I guess we could use it,” Hanzo admitted reluctantly. He was unsure of how well he would be able to argue with an angered Mako. He was also unsure of how well the newly turned demon would be able to fight, but he could not afford to question that. He charged the Tsuchigumo again, willing himself forwards. Powerfully pushing off of the ground, he collided with the monster where one of its legs connected to its body. With a snarl he raised his hands above his head and brought them down together on the joint. He repeated the process several times until he finally heard the satisfying snap accompanied by a ferocious roar. The Tsuchigumo seemed to have given up on the idea of fleeing and was now intent on slaughtering the nuisances that had caused it such pain. Rapidly backpedaling, the large black mass slammed into a nearby tree before Hanzo could dodge out of the way. Hanzo gasped in pain as he felt a branch spear him through the shoulder, the sheer force of the impact forcing the blunt object through his skin.

“Hanzo!” The oni turned to see Jesse, Hana, and Jamie running towards him and the Tsuchigumo, momentary confusion on their faces when they spotted Mako. Their timing was impeccable: Hanzo found himself pinned to the tree by his shoulder, the branch firmly between his collarbone and ribs, with a large spider demon reaching back to attack him again.

He flinched as it lunged towards him, but the attack never came as Hana’s M.E.K.A slammed into the Tsuchigumo’s head. Moments later he felt a loud hook loop around his waist, Roadhog on the other end of the chain. With a quick nod, Hanzo pushed against the tree behind him as his companion pulled on the chain, the pair finally managing to maneuver Hanzo off of the branch without doing too much more damage.

McCree ran to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Han! Are you okay?!”

“I'll be fine, Jesse,” Hanzo reassured him, still doubled over in pain. “Thank you, Mako,” he added.

“I got the drive from inside,” McCree assured his partner as he held up the device. “So we got what we came for. Now we just have to finish off… this.” He gestured to the Tsuchigumo that Hana and Jamie had re-engaged, frowning.

“I've got a plan for that!” Hana’s voice crackled through the group's earpieces, uncommon determination in her tone. The three men watched as the rocket-powered thrusters on the back of the M.E.K.A ignited, lighting up with super-hot blue and white flame. The force of the rockets sent the Tsuchigumo flying away from where the group was gathered. They watched as Hana was ejected from her mech, Jamie immediately running forwards to catch her falling figure.

Hanzo noticed the glint of something metal in her hand. It looked similar to the detonators that Junkrat used to set off his concussion mines, but he didn't understand why Hana had one…

The dots connected seconds before a large explosion covered the immediate area where the M.E.K.A and the Tsuchigumo had been, much of the group reflexively shielding their eyes. A worn Hana landed in Jamie's outstretched arms, causing him to stumble briefly. She watched with an emotionless face as the remnants of the mushroom cloud cleared. In a significant crater, and surrounded by a few toppled trees, was a very dead spider demon and a very destroyed mech.

Hanzo let out a small sigh of relief as he turned to look at Hana. “You did it, Hana,” he congratulated. “We all owe you.”

Hana did not meet his gaze as Jamie set her down. “I guess…”

The still-smoldering explosives specialist put a comforting hand on Hana's back. “Sheila, I'm sorry ‘bout your bot. But you know how to build it now, right? The next one you make will be even better, and won't take you anywhere near as long!”

Hana looked to her side where Jamie was smiling at her. “That's true…” A small smile of her own crept onto her lips. “Will you help me fit it out with some cool explosives?”

“Of course, mate! I thought you'd never ask!”

“Our first priority is to get Hanzo out of here, though,” McCree cut in, helping Hanzo to his feet. “He took the most damage of us,” he observed.

“I'll be fine,” Hanzo repeated. “The mission was a success; that is all that is important.”

“Uh, no,” Hana countered. “I'm pretty sure the five of us all surviving was the most important,” she with an eyeroll. “But yeah, let's get Hanzo fixed up.”

“We'll have to walk,” Mako grunted, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the wreckage of the van behind him.

“Ugh,” McCree sighed. “Give me a minute, I'll call Gabe.”

 

* * *

 


	21. Rest and Rehabilitation

Hanzo awoke to the feeling of sun on his face, the light bright against his eyelids. He slowly came to consciousness as he blinked repeatedly, trying to get his pupils to adjust to the light. The room he was in was dim, only lit by the strong sun coming in through the large windows, but it was still assaulting. He sat up with a groan, his drowsy mind trying to protest that the bed he was in was not his own, but the thought did not carry any urgency. 

He stared at his hands recalled the last event he could remember: the fight with the Tsuchigumo. How all had seemed lost, how it had thrown them around like playthings, how Hana had finally destroyed it by exploding her M.E.K.A, how Jesse had supported him until Gabe arrived with another V.T.O.L, how he had fallen asleep with his head on the gunslinger’s shoulder once they were all safely inside.

_ Jesse; where was Jesse? _

Hanzo looked around slowly, eyes scanning over the white walls of a plain room. His gaze settled on a form slumped back in a chair, one he recognized to be a sleeping Jesse McCree, snoring gently. Hanzo moved to get up from the bed, but the mattress betrayed him with a loud creak.

McCree's eyes fluttered open as his head snapped up, startled by the noise. He visibly relaxed when he realized that Hanzo had been the source of the sound and smiled broadly.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Jesse crooned as he rose from the chair and padded over to the bed in the middle of the room.

“Good morning,” Hanzo echoed as he was joined on the edge of the bed. “I slept for a while,” he observed; the clock on the wall opposite him read a bit before noon. 

“Longer than you think,” McCree chuckled. “You've been out for about thirty-six hours.”

_ “Thirty-six?” _ Hanzo stared at him in disbelief, but his partner just nodded. 

“Yup, Angela said it was your body's way of trying to heal all those wounds you got. But I must admit, it was mighty scary when you didn't wake up yesterday morning.”

Hanzo smiled at Jesse. “So you watched over me while I slept?”

“Of course, protectin’ you is my job.” The gunslinger planted a kiss on the archer's forehead. “I was worried that I'd failed for a bit there.”

“Don't worry, you haven't failed me yet,” Hanzo teased. He stretched, feeling his muscles protest a bit, but the pain was largely gone. The wound in his shoulder had scabbed over, and his ribs felt like they were at least mostly intact. “What did you all do while I was asleep yesterday?”

McCree laughed. “Well, that's quite the interesting story… Remember how Roadhog smashed the van into the big spider?”

“It's called a ‘Tsuchigumo’, but continue.”

“Right, ‘Tsuchigumo’,” Jesse waved dismissively. “Anyway, since the van was totaled after that, Mako, Jamie, and I went to look for a new one yesterday!”

“Oh no,” Hanzo groaned. “What horrible type of automobile did you buy?”

“Hey, it's awesome! We had found some guy selling a ‘gently-used van’ online, and went to check it out-”

“-Jesse, nine times out of ten, people like that are  _ scammers, _ ” the oni hissed.

McCree put up a hand. “This was the other one time out of ten: He was a really nice guy, very polite, and he was even Australian! He and Jamie naturally hit it off, and so he got some cash to put towards a new set of wheels and we got a  _ camper van!” _ His eyes had widened with excitement by the time he had finished speaking. 

“A  _ camper _ van?” Hanzo raised an eyebrow skeptically. 

“Yeah! It has beds and everythin’; you know, for those longer missions. Or just if someone ever needs some extra privacy…” McCree wiggled his eyebrows at Hanzo suggestively, who gave him a look of disgust. “Don’t worry, princess, I cleaned out the dead bodies and jars of piss so it's nice and clean.” 

“How I have a headache this early in the day already is a mystery,” Hanzo said with an exaggerated sigh and eye roll.

“Oh c'mon, we were even going to all get sushi together once you were up; but if you feel like being a grouch…”

“I'll come,” Hanzo yielded. “You should be honored to be graced with my company,” he added with a sly smile at Jesse.

Jesse tipped his cowboy hat as he smiled back. “Of course, Shimada-san,” he teased.

 

* * *

 

Lunch was a larger affair than Hanzo had expected it would be. Hana, Jamie, and Mako were all present, as he expected, but Gabe was also in attendance, accompanied by a blonde woman that Hanzo recalled to be ‘Angela,’ and another woman with purple ombre hair that was conversing with him in rapid Spanish. 

The stranger smiled at him and Jesse when they opened the door to the warm interior of the restaurant and seated themselves at the table. “¿ _ Esté  _ es su novio?” She looked back and forth between Hanzo and her friend in surprise, but the question was obviously addressed to Jesse. 

Gabriel chuckled from beside her as McCree spluttered out some curse. “Of course, Sombra! I've already told you!”

‘Sombra' winked deviously at Jesse before extending a hand to Hanzo. “It's nice to meet you. You can call me Olivia; Sombra is a… nickname.” Her grip was firm as Hanzo shook her hand. “Jesse has told me a lot about you.”

“Don't listen to him,” Hanzo dismissed with a wave as he picked up a menu. “He has a propensity for lying.”

Most of the group seated at the table laughed raucously at the quip, even the seemingly-reserved Angela letting out a giggle. Olivia gave him a wry smile as she slumped backwards against the back of her chair. “Very true.”

Hana pushed Hanzo's menu down onto the table, forcing him to make eye contact. “How are you feeling, Hanzo?” 

“Yeah mate, you were out for a while,” Jamie chimed in. “Missed the experience of buyin’ the new van n’ everything!” 

Hanzo wrapped his arm around Hana's shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “I am almost fully recovered. Thank you for your concern. I am sorry to have worried you all,” he added, bowing his head. 

“No need to be sorry,” Angela dismissed. “We're glad you're feeling better.” Her smile was radiant.

“Not to ruin the moment,” Gabriel interrupted, “but I think they'll kick us out of here if we don't order food sometime soon.” 

The group all murmured their agreement as they placed their orders, silence settling upon them when the food arrived, and they began eating.

 

* * *

 

Hanzo ate like a starving animal, consuming almost twice as much food as Jesse. The gunslinger watched him fondly as the demon filed a continuous stream of food into his mouth. But it wasn't like Hanzo lost any of his usual manners; his sushi was still perfectly balanced between his two chopsticks as his hand rapidly moved between his mouth and his plate, and a large bowl of soup was consumed with equal deftness. He was so preoccupied with his own meals that he did not notice when everyone finished. This was probably because they were all still quiet and had just taken to watching Hanzo eat instead.

He finally looked up when McCree coughed, a dumping nearly falling from his grasp when he noticed the seven pairs of eyes staring at him. “M-My apologies,” he murmured. “I was quite hungry, and such neglected my duties as a good dining companion.”

“I didn't know you could eat so much!” Hana smirked. “Usually you are so careful of not asking for more than is “socially-acceptable,” she added with mock snootiness. 

“You ate like a man possessed,” Jamie agreed. 

“Well technically he is,” Jesse said with a chuckle as he nudged Hanzo with his elbow. 

Hanzo placed the lone dumpling back onto his plate as the words sunk in. They hit harder than he thought they would, as he painfully realized just how many people he had let become aware of his horrid secret. That combined with his embarrassment at his lack of self-control made him push his chair back as he rose quickly from the table, the wood scraping in protest.

He stalked out the door with a quick “Excuse me,” not turning to look back as he heard a feminine voice hiss “Go talk to him,  _ idiota!” _

He heard the scraping of a chair before he closed the door behind him, leaning his back against the nearest lamppost for support as he let out a small sigh. Less than a minute later, the door opened again as McCree stepped out of the restaurant, a worried grimace on his face. “What's wrong, Hanzo? Did I say something?”

“It was not your fault,” Hanzo assured him. “I had just failed to recognize how many people actually knew of my status as an oni, and so the realization was upsetting.”

“They don't judge you, darlin’.” Jesse's spurs jingled as he walked closer to Hanzo. “And they're probably the best people to know about it.”

Hanzo frowned as he looked at McCree. “I am not worried about what they might think, I am worried about what they might say.” He paused. “This is  _ not _ something that I can let become public knowledge; do you understand, Jesse?”

“That won't happen,” McCree said stoically. “I promise ya, Han.” 

“I will hold you to that promise.” 

“I'd prefer if you held other things, but sure,” Jesse said with a sly grin. “C'mon, let's go back inside.” He squeezed Hanzo's hand, but the archer didn't move. With a small nod, he retreated back into the restaurant, knowing that sometimes Hanzo just needed a few minutes alone. 

Hanzo continued to feel overwhelmed by how much his world had spun out of control. People just kept popping in to his life, and he just kept opening his heart to them. He was sure it would not be long before one of them stabbed him in the back- Or, more accurately, shot him through the heart. He was enjoying himself more than he ever had in the last decade, but he was also more anxious and paranoid than he ever had been. 

He chalked it up to some sick retribution; Hanzo was being punished for the niceties he did not deserve with the added stress that made him want to rip his hair out and the paranoia that always kept his muscles tense. 

But voices echoed in the back of his mind that this was not true, that Genji himself would have not wished this on his brother. And so Hanzo took a deep breath as he shoved his self-hatred aside, forcing himself to believe what his friends kept telling him. He finally wandered back inside a few minutes after Jesse had sat down again, all eyes shifting to look upon him again as he approached their table. Hanzo's perception could feel the gazes of other patrons upon him as well, but he ignored them and stood tall as he addressed his friends and comrades. 

“Thank you all for being so accepting of and patient with me,” he said with a bow. Everyone nodded, murmuring words of understanding, and Hanzo felt the awkwardness fade as he retook his seat next to McCree. He felt a warm hand on his leg and glanced over to Jesse, who gave a heartwarming, sincere smile. Hanzo returned the gesture, taking the man's hand in his own. 

Olivia cleared her throat loudly, all eyes shifting to look at her. She smiled at Hanzo and Jesse. “The information you were able to retrieve from that intranet server was invaluable, I must say. I have already begun to spread what I can, and let me say it's causing  _ quite _ the little uproar.” Her sharp gaze snapped to Hana and Jamie. “But your friends were invaluable in that mission, especially the smartie with brown hair. I hope you've thanked them,” she said to Jesse with a scowl. 

“I uh… didn't get the chance,” McCree admitted sheepishly. “I thought it was… implied?” 

Hana brandished a mochi-tipped chopstick at him. “Next time, don't even think I will sacrifice my beautiful M.E.K.A to save your scrawny ass, Jesse!”

“Hana,” Hanzo chided. “Language.”

“English!” The brunette stuck her tongue out at Hanzo as Jamie cackled at her side. The two were really starting to pick up on each other's quirks, which would probably be worrisome if they were not scrutinized closely by the older man.

McCree rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and reached across the table to give Hana's slim shoulder a squeeze. “Alright. Sorry, squirt; you were amazing, and I should have said something. Thank you for bein’ an essential part to the mission. You too, Jamie,” he added.

“You're welcome,” Hana smiled, withdrawing the chopstick to bite into the dessert. “What's up next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to you if you get my not-so-subtle reference ;)


	22. Present and Premonitions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry for the missed upload last week! This was a difficult chapter for me to write, as I need the boys to have some "downtime" but wanted to make it meaningful. I hope you like what I came up with. ;)

Hanzo spent most of the weekend after the group luncheon in bed, but at least it was his own. Angela had cleared him to recover from the rest of his wounds at home; and, without a moment's pause, had added to Jesse that her patient was  _ not  _ cleared for "normal activity". The gunslinger had respected her orders, mostly because he was afraid of how many ways a woman that smart could make his life hell. So he settled for cuddling with Hanzo and tending to his needs, reminding himself on a regular basis that it was not about him.

But Hanzo was also growing restless; he ached to run, hunt, something. When Monday came, he rose early, slipping out from between McCree's arms as he silently dressed and prepared himself breakfast. He meditated on how his life had so easily changed to accommodate two: the addition of meats and microwave dinners to the groceries in the fridge, the extra shelf for Peacekeeper in his safe, the second set of keys which now hung by the door, the extra blanket and pillow  pulled from storage, the other cup of - 

The mug slid from Hanzo's view as a tan hand pulled it away. He looked up and inadvertently smiled when his eyes met Jesse's. "Good morning, you are up early," the archer observed.

"I lost my heat source," Jesse huffed.

"I'm sorry, I could not sleep well."

"Why?"

"I need to get out of the house," Hanzo replied. "I don't like being cooped up." A pause. "I was thinking of going to see Zenyatta again today."

"Darlin', you know what Angela said."

"It is only meditation, Jesse. It is not strenuous."

"But-"

"You do not have to come if you are worried, but I  _ am  _ going," Hanzo stated.

Jesse sighed. "I ain't gonna take the blame for not keeping you in check, then."

"Of course you will," Hanzo teased, "that is part of your job description as my significant other."

Jesse sighed and turned to walk towards the door without responding, the demon snickering behind him as he followed.

 

* * *

 

It was a breezy spring day, the wind making Hanzo's skin itch and almost whispering in to his ear. He had no clue why he could not seem to calm his mind today. His senses were once again being bombarded like he was a newly-turned oni, but he had since learned to manage that. Hopefully, Zenyatta would have answers for him.

Jesse seemed to notice that Hanzo was preoccupied, glancing at him from the driver's seat every few minutes as they drove to the temple, but he said nothing, knowing that it would be near impossible to get his partner to spill what he was thinking about. As they turned up the dirt road, Hanzo glanced sideways at the man he had grown to trust sitting next to him. "I'm sorry I've been quiet, I am preoccupied. I assure you it is nothing major for you to worry about, I just wanted to apologize. I have not been a very entertaining passenger."

"It's fine, sugarplum," Jesse grinned, "I figured as much. Honestly I'm just honored you think so highly of me to apologize for such a silly little thing." A hand moved from the steering wheel for a moment to give Hanzo's leg a quick squeeze before withdrawing. The archer smiled at him briefly before returning his gaze to the trees rushing past them, the landscape eventually

flattening out and revealing the temple stairs as the car crested the hill.

McCree took Hanzo's hand in his as they walked, the metal smooth and cool against the oni's own skin. Zenyatta was not outside as he usually was by this time in the morning when the pair reached the top of the stairs. Strange. Hanzo's brow furrowed in confusion as he led Jesse inside, winding through the halls towards Junkrat and Roadhog's room. When they reached the sliding door, he rapped his knuckles lightly on the wood. "Jamison? Mako?"

There was a shuffling and grunt of effort before the door rolled open to reveal a glasses-wearing Mako, a small, old book in his meaty hand. The lack of his usual mask and the fragile glasses on his scarred, horned face created an odd look. "Hey."

"Good morning, I hope I did not wake you," Hanzo greeted with a slight dip of his head. "Do you know where Zenyatta is? I was hoping to speak with him."

"He was with the rat out back last I saw them," Roadhog confirmed. "Jamie sought him out for

something, but you wouldn't be interrupting." He gave Hanzo a knowing look that told the archer not to think he was bothering anyone, a subtle, pointed squint that Jesse missed.

"Thank you, Mako," Hanzo smiled. "We will let you get back to your reading, now."

Roadhog nodded and turned to shuffle back into the room, not bothering to close the door again. When McCree figured that they were sufficiently out of earshot, he gave a slight chuckle and whispered, "I never would have pegged Roadie as a reader. Or a person who'd need glasses."

Hanzo rolled his eyes, knowing that their subject could probably hear everything they were saying with his newly enhanced hearing. "I always considered him a 'hidden intellectual', myself. And besides, Jesse, you don't usually bother to ask people about themselves." The oni's own keen ears heard a soft snort from a little ways off underneath Jesse's sputtering comeback. He gave the man a quick peck on the cheek, effectively shutting him up as McCree let out a sigh of defeat.

Zenyatta and Junkrat were where Roadhog had said they would be, out back behind the temple in t he little garden. Jamie's voice found Hanzo's ears before he saw him.

"I just don't know what to think, I don't feel I deserve it."

"You cannot let your past actions determine what you deserve in life, each person -"

-"See, but I think I'm the exception to that rule. I-"

Hanzo cleared his throat to announce his presence. Jamison and Zenyatta turned around, one startled and the other unreadable. "Oi, if it ain't the two lovebirds! How ya doing?"

"We are well. I was hoping to ask Zenyatta for his help in finding some clarity."

Jamie raised one eyebrow curiously. "Funny, I was looking for the same advice." He did not offer any further explanation, and Hanzo did not want to pry, so he smiled and stepped aside to let Jamie pass. The Australian’s face was stern as he walked by, brows furrowed as he intently studied the ground. 

"What were you hoping for my assistance with?" Zenyatta's tone was curious as he turned to  address Hanzo.

"Well, I have been feeling unnecessarily restless during my healing process, " the oni explained, "but I do not understand why."

"Well, I am happy to try to help you find clarity. Come, sit. You are welcome to stay as well," he  added to McCree.

"Oh, I wasn't- I don't wanna-"

"Jesse, sit." Hanzo's voice was firm as he looked up at his partner, but there was something in his  eyes that could be better described as begging; so the gunslinger just nodded and quietly sat  down next to Hanzo.

"Now, since it sounds like this issue stems from your unconscious mind, I want you to transform." Hanzo was about to protest but the Omnic monk held up a hand, silencing him. "Do you trust me?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes."

"Then let the control of your emotions slip ever so slightly-"

Hanzo inhaled, exhaled.

"-Allow the oni within to claw his way to the surface-"

Hanzo heard Jesse's fingers drumming on his thigh and sensed the man's gaze. He inhaled, exhaled, gradually began to let those primal, demonic reactions surface.

"-Embrace the dueling parts of yourself, recognize that they are both now parts of Hanzo Shimada-"

Scales began to push through Hanzo's skin, the itch growing worse.

"-Open your eyes, and love yourself in this moment."

Hanzo did as he was told, but when he opened his eyes there was a flash of blinding, white-hot light. He hissed and shrunk back instinctively.

-"What do you feel?"

His eyes automatically moved to follow Zenyatta's voice, only to find his body engulfed in the same, white hot light. The Omnic was shining like a star, radiating energy. Hanzo jumped to his feet as he heard a few lone rounds of gunfire, head swiveling as he tried to locate the noise. He heard a woman screaming-

-"HAN!" Hands grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around, a very confused Jesse staring at him. "What on earth is wrong?!"

Hanzo blinked before his eyes focused on Jesse. The other man didn't look worried, or frightened, and... The oni looked at Zenyatta in front of him. The glow around the Shambali monk was no longer there, nor was there any sign that the metal of his body was superheated.

"I... you were on fire," Hanzo choked out. "There were gunshots and someone screaming, and..."

"What? Hanzo, unless I'm going deaf I didn't hear any of those things." Jesse looked the oni's large body up and down. "Are you doing alright, darlin'?"

"I believe your story," Zenyatta hummed. "While both McCree and I did not hear any sounds of danger, and I am not currently on fire, the fact that you alone were witness to these stimuli makes me believe that you may have had some sort of warning. A 'reverse deja-vu', you could say."

Hanzo, trying to calm the pounding heart in his chest, stared at Zenyatta curiously. He certainly did not sense any threats around, just the signatures of Mako and Jamie, but...

"Does that mean what I just saw will happen in the future?"

"Not  _ 'will' _ , just  _ 'might' _ ; that is, if it even was a vision of the future at all. But if it was, it is only one of many infinite possibilities." Zenyatta seemed unconcerned by Hanzo's anxiety, but the oni wasn't sure if that was something he should find reassuring. He looked down to his clenched fists, the talons starting to scrape across the scales of his palm and draw blood. Hanzo took a shaky breath, willing himself to calm down.

"I think it is time to begin planning how we want this to go down."

"Hanzo, you aren't re-"

"I am as ready as I'll ever be, Jesse. We cannot afford to wait." He turned and bowed quickly Zenyatta before stalking off, leaving the gunslinger to run after him shouting for him to calm down. It was time to contact Gabriel, Sombra, Hana, anyone who could be of assistance in this fight.

_ It is time to destroy the Shimada family legacy. _

 


	23. Sun And Steel

 

Hanzo prepared his things to spend the night at the Bodaiji temple; tomorrow, they would travel to Hanamura to prepare for the final strike. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to pack; his tactical equipment was all neatly stored in one place. Jesse's things, on the other hand, were everywhere, and they spent an hour looking for a lucky rabbit's foot that he  _ insisted _ on finding. 

Because of that, they were naturally the last ones to the meeting. Gabriel, Olivia, Hana, Jamie, and Mako were all in mid-conversation when the pair entered the impromptu meeting room. Even Zenyatta was present, although Hanzo doubted he would accompany the group on their mission; he was there to provide advice more than anything. 

Gabriel's trained senses meant that he was the first to hear Hanzo and McCree enter the room, and nodded in greeting as they made eye contact.

“I'm assuming Jesse was the one who held you up?”

Hanzo chuckled as he carefully set his bags down. “Yes, he is so disorganized that I am amazed he has not lost his silly hat yet.”

“You suck, Han,” McCree huffed as he dropped his weapon case on the ground. “Everyone knows you're not supposed to side with Gabe.”

“ _ Except  _ for when our other option is siding with you,” Olivia said with smirk. 

“You suck too, Sombra.” Jesse dramatically dropped in to the closest unoccupied seat. “Everyone is against poor ol’ me.” 

Hana scoffed something very witty in Korean, knowing that probably only Hanzo understood the language, and the sheer forwardness of the comment made Hanzo's ears burn just a little bit. 

 

Gabriel groaned pointedly and handed the two newcomers a detailed map of Hanamura castle and the immediate area surrounding it along with information on the current higher-ups of the Shimada family .  The past resident straightened up in his seat, proud that his memory had been put to good use. 

Everyone else already had annotated theirs, some more clearly than others; Jamie's documents were a mess of scribbles and diagrams, all unreadable to anyone except maybe Mako. 

“Oh!” Jamie broke the silence with a snap of his fingers. “You blokes didn't hear because you arrived late, but we figured it might be useful to use code names for this mission, so that we seem all serious n’ the like.” 

“It was his idea,” Mako explained.

“Although it does make sense,” Olivia reasoned, “Especially considering a decent chunk of us already have aliases from our various lines of work.” 

“Don't tell me I'm going to have to call the old man ‘Reaper’ again,” Jesse said with a groan. “It's so fucking emo.”

Gabriel’s face pulled into a deeper scowl than usual. “I didn't pick it, idiota.”

“Well, ya let it stick.”

“I'd like to hear what you've come up with for a title, then.”

McCree stroked his chin thoughtfully, a small smile on his face. “I've been known to go by ‘Rawhide’ way back -”

He wasn't able to finish before the group let out a collective groan, something that was becoming commonplace whenever the man spoke. 

“‘Rawhide’, really?” Hana couldn't help but grin at the tackiness of the name. “I guess the ‘rough-and-tumble’ theme fits, at least.” 

“I like Hana’s,” Jamie piped up. “Apparently her streamer name is ‘Diva’ but with a dot instead of the ‘i’ - Fittin’ for a princess like her, ain't it?” He snickered and gave her shoulder a nudge, grinning widely.

“I think it is creative,” Hanzo reassured her. “Jamie and Mako will of course be ‘Junkrat' and ‘Roadhog’, Olivia’s alias is Sombra, so that leaves-”

“-You, sugarplum,” Jesse said with a smile. “Do you have a name you'd like?”

Hanzo pursed his lips in thought. “Well, I was hoping to use my favorite animal, but I'm afraid it might sound childish…”

“I don't think it could get much worse than anyone else's,” Hana grinned. “What would it be?”

“‘Rabbit’, although I would like to know what you think,” Hanzo responded sheepishly. 

“Doesn't matter what we think as long as you like it, mate!” 

“I think it's cute,” McCree laughed. “I never would have guessed your favorite animal was something so small and fluffy.”

“I believe they are very intelligent,” Hanzo argued, “and more keen than they let on,  _ Rawhide _ .” 

Sombra rolled her eyes and sighed. “If we've got that detail settled, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of the plan. Otherwise the Shimada will come and kick our asses.”

“Yes, let's,” Gabriel agreed. “Now, I suggest we split into two teams: One will have Sombra, Rabbit, and myself; the other will be made of Junkrat, Roadhog, D.va, and Rawhide.”

“And yer splitting us up like that for what reason?”

“Because you aren't stealthy, pendejo. You got Hanzo jumped in Mutsu.”

“Gabriel,” Hanzo cut in, “I agree with your first statement, but-”

“All I'm saying is that you're a great secret weapon, and that you need to stay secret to maximize your impact.  _ And _ you're supposed to start calling me ‘Reaper’ to get used to it.”

Hanzo dipped his head in silent apology as Jamie raised his hand. “Question! Why isn't Roadie here a good secret weapon? He's mighty strong now too.” 

“He doesn't have the mastery of his abilities that Rabbit has,” Reaper explained. “His strength could very easily reveal all of us if we are not careful.”

“But-”

“Listen to him, Rat,” Roadhog insisted. 

Gabe nodded his thanks before continuing. “Now, the team of Junkrat, Roadhog, D.va, and Rawhide will assault this east entrance by the loading dock; I've acquired a produce transportation truck that will help make it look like you're delivering groceries to the kitchen.”

“Pops, how did you get-”

“Hush.” Gabriel gave Jesse a stern look that wasn't unfamiliar to his adopted son. “I recommend that D.va drives; she is the least suspicious of you lot. That means you'll be in the truck.”

“So we’ll be the food,” Junkrat giggled. “Although they'll get a big surprise if they try to eat me!”

The Blackwatch commander let out another sigh before he continued. “They'll be less equipped to deal with an attack from there, but I still want you to restrain everyone present.” He circled another location on his own map. This is where Sombra, Rabbit, and myself will be going in. One of the sunrooms has a skylight with a thick metal grate over it, but I didn't think that would be a problem.” 

“Not at all,” Hanzo assured him. “However, would it actually benefit it us to go to this room instead? I'm thinking that since it's farther from the other team, we could cover more ground.” 

“Good point,” Reaper agreed. “We'll go there. Then, work our way towards the center as we secure the building.”

“Then we find the head honcho,” McCree concluded. 

“Yes; then we find the head honcho, and our Rabbit here gets his closure.” 

Hanzo smirked in anticipation. “Very well. Let us rest and then we will set out tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

 

But a peaceful morning never came - In the dead of night, Hanzo awoke with a start to the sound of shouting. He instinctively jumped to his feet and snapped to attention, muscles tensing. 

He grabbed a throwing knife from one of the pouches he thankfully had so meticulously organized, forcing himself to take a deep breath before slowly sliding the screen door open. He stuck his head out, glancing up and down the empty hallway before silently darting towards the noise. Through the cacophony of voices, he could begin to make out Hana’s individual cadence - She was angry, and relatively close by. The oni kept moving forward until he saw her off to the side, struggling not too far from her room with a man clad in all black.

Her eyes lit up in recognition and relief when she saw Hanzo come running. “Thank god you're awake!”

The guard, as trained as he was, instinctively turned to look behind him. With his attention diverted, Hana was able to push him away, sending him towards the path of Hanzo's incoming blade, the weapon already flying towards them. The blow connected with a wet thud as the knife was pushed through the attacker's chest, the thin blade finding its way through the rib cage as it searched for the other side. Blood spattered Hana's forehead, something that she normally would be disgusted by; but the situation had channeled her razor focus, and the young girl was already getting to her feet as Hanzo pulled the blade from the limp form. 

“They attacked before we did,” she hissed, stalking back towards her room.

“Yes, now we must make sure that we are not killed because of it,” Hanzo said with an icy tone as Hana grabbed her pistol from the bedside table. They moved swiftly towards the other occupied rooms, the shouting getting louder. Junkrat and Roadhog's voices found their way to Hanzo's ears, the smallest of reassurances in the chaotic mess. 

The screen had been torn open, and two guards were slumped against the wall opposite the room. When Hanzo and Hana poked their heads through the hole in the door, they saw a screeching Junkrat on the shoulders of another unlucky guard, clawing away at her face, and a fully transformed Mako chasing them around the room. Already larger than Hanzo normally, the newly transformed oni measured just beneath the ten foot tall ceiling of the room; if he had grown any bigger, his horns would be gouging tracks in the drywall. 

“YOU TURN HIM BACK, YOU WIZARDING WITCH!” 

“Junkrat-”

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIEND, HUH?!”

“JUNKRAT!” Hana’s voice finally managed to reach Jamie’s ears as his head swiveled around to look at her, momentarily pausing in his abuse of the Shimada lackey. 

“D.VA! THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE; THIS PIECE OF SHIT TURNED ROADIE INTO A DE- oh…”

Mako plucked his friend off of their attacker, grabbing the back of the junker’s shirt with one hand as he crushed the skull of the woman’s head with the other. “You seriously forgot what happened, rat?” Roadhog’s voice had dropped an octave lower than normal, and as he snarled it became evident that his canines had grown as well; they now protruded from his bottom lip, growing in front of his upper teeth.

Junkrat flinched, suddenly looking like a scolded child. “Oi, to be fair, I’ve never seen you transformed before. Don't blame me for gettin’ nervous at how different you look, mate.”

Roadhog sighed, the muscles on his body rippling with the action. “True. Sorry.”

“Thank goodness you two are alright, at least,” Hanzo commented. 

“We're fine,” Jamie answered over his shoulder as he grabbed his grenade launcher. “Did our favorite American find ya, though? We heard him pass by a little while ago.”

“Jesse did? Dammit,” Hanzo cursed. “He did not make to my quarters.”

The Australian looked like he was about to make a joke before Mako flicked him on the side of the head. “We should find him,” Roadhog insisted, scowling at his companion.

 

* * *

 

The group found Sombra and Gabriel in their search, but no signs of Jesse. The temple was now eerily quiet; the sources of the shouting had all been located, but they had found a transport vehicle earlier which indicated there should be many more troops than the dozen or so they had encountered. Hanzo's heart was starting to pound as his mind created horrible catastrophes from the “what ifs” he kept imagining. Torture was a very prominent weapon in the Shimada arsenal, and Jesse had answers to a lot of questions. Hanzo could only hope that his partner had encountered Zenyatta during his walk, and that the two were together somewhere, unharmed. 

But as they worked their way to the front of the temple from the living quarters, he began to believe his own prayers less and less. When they reached the front of the temple, Hanzo's face morphed into a snarl. There, being dragged by two burly Shimada henchmen, was a bound and bloodied Jesse McCree. His captors had their backs to the temple, and so only Hanzo saw the look of relief on Jesse's face. But to his credit, the gunslinger was silent, not wanting to draw any attention. 

Dashing forward, Hanzo felt his body transform as a surge of anger washed over him. By the time he collided with the man on Jesse's left, he was four hundred pounds of furious demonic energy. Knocking his victim to the ground, the oni slashed open the fragile skin on the neck, blood spurting onto Hanzo's face as the dead man's heart beat a few last times. Becoming an oni had helped him realize one thing: in the heat of the moment, he  _ did _ enjoy the thrill of battle, the challenge of the hunt, disgusted as he sometimes could be by his own violence. Jesse had mentioned before that he wore the same grin the gunslinger did, but he had just dismissed the comment; he was sure that at that moment he had his own smirk on his face. 

The other guard didn't have any time to scream before Hanzo threw a powerful uppercut into the bottom of his jaw. The man reeled back and dropped his rifle, letting go of Jesse's bonds as he slumped to the ground.  McCree kicked the unlucky lackey in the gut for good measure as his partner cut the ropes restraining his hands. “Han, they've got Zenyatta surrounded-”

“Where?” Hanzo helped Jesse to his feet before picking up the discarded gun and handing it to him, as Peacekeeper was still back in his quarters.

“Down in the courtyard,” McCree huffed. Look-”

Hanzo moved towards the edge of the steps and indeed saw the Omnic monk in the center of a circle of two dozen guards. None of the men approached him, probably nervous about what he might do, and so they just stood there with their weapons at the ready. “They have probably called in backup,” Hanzo observed, “or if they haven't then they are just waiting for the best time to do so.”

“We need to act fast regardless,” Gabriel growled. 

Hanzo was about to move down the steps when he saw Zenyatta’s head turn to look straight at him. Suddenly the archer was frozen in place, his body not responding to his commands to move. For a second, the forms of the Shimada attackers shimmered and became transparent, as if they were not quite there. Hanzo blinked as Gabriel pushed past him; the figures returned to their solid states instantly as he did so. Instinctively, he reached out a hand to grab the Blackwatch Commander’s wrist. 

“Wait, something feels wrong about this situation,” the oni insisted. 

“Like what? They're starting to close in and are going to kill him-”

“Intruders.” Zenyatta's voice rang out from the courtyard below, echoing up the steps to the group watching. “I cannot forgive you for your disrespect of this place of peace and worship.” 

“Shut it, you tin can! You will be turned into scrap metal if you don't surrender this instant!” One of the guards in the circle moved forward to brandish his rifle threateningly, but Hanzo could see the uncertainty in his movements from his viewpoint fifty hundred yards away. 

“What did that jerk say to Zen, Hanzo?” Hana put a nervous hand on the oni's shoulder. 

“They are telling him to surrender,” Roadhog answered. He too looked torn between whether they should go in to save their ally or stay back. 

The booming of Zenyatta’s voice interrupted their thoughts. “If you do not back off, you will force my hand. I do not wish to harm you, but I cannot back down; I am responsible for protecting more than just myself.”

“Fuck you, Omnic trash,” the man spat. He moved closer to Zenyatta, the rest of his troops now following suit in tightening the circle. “Men, move in!”

“I sincerely wish you had just left,” Zenyatta sighed. “Perhaps you could have taken a different path in your-”

“-FIRE!” 

Hanzo heard a shriek from beside him as the group watched in horror as Zenyatta was fired upon on the grass below by two dozen assault rifles. He looked away momentarily to bark at Jesse. “Ready the van, we must go!” McCree seemed like he wanted to argue, his face contorted in sadness, but he ran off to do as he was told. He grabbed Hana by the hand as he left, pulling her away from the horrible sight. But when Hanzo returned his gaze to Zenyatta, he noticed that the Omnic had not fallen. In fact, he had started to glow, the metal of his form getting lighter and lighter. A low hum was emanating from the spot where the Shambali monk stood. 

This was something Hanzo had seen before; he recognized it from his vision. Whatever was going to happen, he got the feeling it would not be good to watch. “GET DOWN!” Flinging himself against the ground, he was relieved to see the others instinctively follow his lead. The noise grew louder, making it almost feel like Hanzo's bones were vibrating in his body. He shut his eyes in fear as he heard a booming shout of “ _ PASS INTO THE IRIS!” _

Then it was silent. The oni opened one eye slowly, warily. Noticing no difference in their immediate surroundings, he slowly stood and breathed a sigh of relief that the others were unharmed. But when he turned to look back at the base of the temple's steps, he let out a small gasp in shock.

Zenyatta was standing alone, with no traces of the guards that had surrounded him. But he could only be described as  _ burning _ ; the metal of the monk's body was almost entirely white, some areas a bright orange or red. He had the same intense heat wave surrounding him as Hanzo had glimpsed before, distorting the very air. The oni bounded forward, running down most of the steps before jumping down the last few. “Master Zenyatta! What happened?!”

Zenyatta raised a hand. “Do not fret, oni, this was one of the pathways I foresaw in my future. I am just sorry you must see me in such a state.”

The Omnic was truly a mess: Metal plates were starting to curl at the thinner edges, and the plastic coating of his circuitry was melting entirely, leaving trails of color on the light surface. Zenyatta was dying, and Hanzo knew there was nothing he could do.

“ _ Why _ did you do that? We could have helped you!” 

“I am not one to cause unnecessary bloodshed. I would rather confused people be shown the path to change than to death.” Zenyatta’s voice was growing weaker, but Hanzo could not manage to hold back his questions.

“Where are they now, then?”

Pieces of the Shambali monk's form were now starting to disintegrate, Zenyatta watching them in a detached manner as he spoke. “A proving ground, of sorts. Do not worry, they cannot hurt you or the others any more.”

Hanzo felt his knees starting to buckle as he began the transformation to his human form. He suddenly felt exhausted and very afraid; like a small child, alone. “What will we do without you? What will motivate us now?”

“The same thing that you have continued to live for this past decade: the redemption of yourself and then your family. Be proud, Hanzo Shimada. You have grown much in the short time I have known you.”

Hanzo couldn't help it, he was crying now. Tears streaked his cheeks for the first time since Genji's death, no loss equivalent to that day. But now… the world had lost a great soul again. 

“Thank you, Tekhartha Zenyatta. Farewell.” Hanzo bowed deeply as he spoke, the last gesture of respect and gratitude he could offer.

When he straightened up, the most human Omnic the world might have known was gone. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI THIS CHAPTER KILLED ME TO WRITE I'M SORRY T_T
> 
> Also, Gabe knows enough Korean from his military background to know that what Hanzo whispered to Hanzo was very sexual uwu


	24. Rememberance and Seclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I know that I have teased it before with Roadhog, but I just wanted to mention that Zenyatta's death is permanent; he won't be going back to the Bodaiji temple again. 

The drive to Hana’s apartment in Mutsu was not a pleasant one, but not for the usual reason; Gabriel had elected to drive this time, and his years of practice made him infallible, but the ride was… eerily silent. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. 

After Hanzo had taken a moment - well, several minutes - to allow the reality of Zenyatta's death to hit him, the group paid their respects together in what could have been the most impromptu funeral they had ever been to. When Hana and Jesse arrived with the camper van, Hanzo told them about the tragedy with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart. Hana began sobbing and wept for a long time before Jamie finally guided her away. The rest of them decided it was time to make a move, and split up to get their things; all of their homes and hideouts could have also been compromised if the Shimada knew that they had been staying at the Bodaiji temple, so they needed someplace new to rest and regroup. 

When Hanzo and Jesse returned to the courtyard to meet with the others,  Hana had offered for them to stay with her. Considering that she lived closest to the Shimada family estate in Aomori, no one declined the suggestion. But after the details had been sorted out, everyone had fallen quiet again. 

Hanzo did not usually mind silence, but for some reason this dreary, heavy kind made him feel incredibly uneasy. He had never been around people in mourning before, so the feeling was quite new and quite unsettling. From his spot on one of the couches opposite to Jamie and Hana, the archer could see the white of the girl's knuckles, her hands balled into fists and shaking. The blonde Australian put his own hand on top of hers, staring at Hana intently with a frown. “Oi, shelia, don’t be sad - Zenyatta saved us all and he is certainly going to be commended for that, wherever he is.” 

Hanzo watched silently as Hana sniffled and locked eyes with the junker. “Do you believe in God, Junkrat?”

Jamie blinked rapidly, taken aback by the question. “I - er - don't know if I believe in a god or whatever, but there's definitely gotta be some force that makes sure things turn out alright in the end, roight?” He locked eyes with Hanzo, seemingly asking him the same question. 

“Yes,” Hanzo nodded. “We may not sometimes see the reason why certain things happen, but life seems to be very good at making sure people are treated how they deserve to be in the end.”

McCree rolled his eyes pointedly from beside him. “You've spent too much time alone, Hanzo. It seems like you might be equally suited to being a philosopher as a terrorist.” The gunslinger gave his partner a smile before taking another drag on his cigar.

“What did you say, McCree?” Hana’s gaze shifted from Hanzo to Jesse as her brow furrowed. 

“I said Hanzo would make a good philosopher, being so smart -”

“-After that.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “And that he shouldn't waste his brains as a terrorist. What's wrong, girlie?”

“Well, by extension that means  _ I'm _ a terrorist,” Hana muttered softly. “I never thought  _ that _ would be something going on my Wikipedia page.”

“Hana.” Everyone turned to look towards the front of the when Gabriel let out a sigh, his sharp eyes glancing at them in the mirror from the driver's seat. “Overwatch has been a terrorist organization for years. The Petras Act deemed all of our operations illegal. We could be severely punished for what we do. But we're still essential to the world's well-being, right?”

And it was true - The young Korean gamer had admired all of Overwatch for as long as she could remember. “That's true, you guys are pretty great.”

“Blackwatch is where it's at,” McCree countered. “I did so much more cool stuff than Angie got to.”

“She is also a medic, Jesse.”

“That don't mean she can't shoot, Han - You haven't seen the woman with a gun.”

Jamison giggled nervously across from Hanzo, but the latter zoned out before he could listen to a reply. It didn't feel right that Zenyatta wasn't here, interrupting their banter with his insight. His frown deepened as he retreated into his own mind,

plotting…

 

* * *

 

By the time the camper van was parked and everyone clambered out of the cramped interior, Hanzo had already formed a rough plan. He knew that, should they manage to overturn - well, more like put a bullet through - the heads of power, the citizens would not resist him. Seeds of dissent had been sowed long before Hanzo was born, and they had grown in light of recent events. 

Hana had gotten some strange looks from the few residents outside when they saw the parade of oddly dressed strangers following behind her. Seemingly impervious to the judgment, though, Hana just continued her conversation with Jamison. “I apologize in advance, the apartment is a little messy but at least there is room for all of us to relax a bit.” 

“No worries, darl - I'm pretty excited to see your place.”

“Really?”

“Strewth, I've always thought it would be cool,” Jamie admitted. Hanzo caught a hint of a blush on the blonde's cheeks, but said nothing. Instead, he followed the others as they moved through the doorway into her small abode. It was warm and cozy, decorated with many furnishings from Korea - many were motivational posters that were so corny they made Hanzo chuckle despite himself. And then there was the furball curled up on her couch, a sleepy tabby cat who raised his head when he saw his owner approach. 

“Hey Uyu, miss me?” Hana gave her furry friend a scratch behind his ears when he leaned into her hand.

“What kinda name is that, beansprout?” McCree moved up next to her to reach his hand out for the cat to sniff. Uyu looked at it briefly before retreating back to Hana. 

“It means “Milk” in Korean - that's his favorite treat when he's been a good boy.”

“How old is he?” Hanzo glanced at cat from over Jesse's shoulder, looking at him with a soft eye. 

“I'm not entirely sure; he's adopted.” Hana picked up the chubby cat in her arms and smiled fondly. “I think he's two, or at least he acts pretty young.” 

“As cute as he is,” Gabriel growled from the doorway, “we have work to do.” He left his shoes by the door before moving to join the others, noticing that only Hanzo had done the same. 

“Right.” Hana nodded as her mood changed, depositing Uyu into Jamie’s arms before thanking Gabriel and Hanzo quickly in Korean. “There’s space for us all in the dining room, and I can make some breakfast.” 

“I was just going to ask,” Jamie cackled. “I could use some brekkie.” Roadhog nodded his agreement as everyone followed Hana through her apartment. She wasn’t lying when she had that despite its small size, the place had a reasonably large kitchen.It seemed like Hanzo shouldn’t worry too much about her social life - this was clearly a room used to entertain guests. The thought made him smile as he sat down at the large wood table. 

“I’ll help you cook,” Olivia offered, placing the tablet she had been focused on next to Gabe on the table. “What are you going to make?”

“I was thinking some pancakes, sausage, and eggs - Does that sound good to everyone?” 

No one did anything but nod and look at Hana like starving animals. 

After breakfast, everyone spent most of the day sleeping on an assortment of inflatable mattresses that Hana had laid out in the living room. There wasn't anything else that they needed to plan - the group just needed to wait for the cover of darkness. None of them slept well, but it was better than attacking the Shimada family estate after not having slept for a solid 24 hours.

Hanzo noticed that their host was more animated than usual, something that usually implied she was secretly uneasy. Sure enough, he was able to catch glimpses of a worried frown when she thought no one was looking. The oni's heart hurt as he watched her, suddenly very aware of a heavy guilt. Hanzo was reminded of the very real possibility that he could be sending these people to their doom, the anxiety hitting him harder than ever before. If he was killed, it did not matter - his life was of no importance. But if these any of these good people were to lose their lives for his cause… he couldn't bear the thought. 

He rose slowly from the edge of the air mattress, careful not to disturb a sleeping Jesse beside him. Jamison and Hana were the only ones he could see that were awake, and they had their backs to him. Olivia and Gabe were seated next to each other, reclining against the wall, and Mako was passed out on his back over in the corner of the living room. Hanzo felt the urge to take a photo of the spectacle, but scolded himself and moved silently into the hallway. He grabbed his bags and the case that held his Stormbow, lifting them before pausing. He opened up the case and removed a single arrow from the quiver, holding it in one hand as he pulled at his golden silk hair tie with the other. Tying it around the shaft in a neat bow, he placed the wrapped arrow next to Jesse's hat. He picked up his luggage once more, turning towards the doorway, but froze when he locked eyes with the Latina woman leaning against the wooden frame. 

“Hola, chico - Aren't you up late?”

“No, I am well rested and have to leave.” Hanzo took a step forward, moving closer to Sombra. “Now, please excuse me.”

“You're not excused,” the woman said with a smirk. “I want to know where you're going.”

“That is not your business.”

“In my line of work,  _ everything _ is my business.” Sombra studied a perfectly manicured nail. “You were going to sneak out and fight this battle on your own, sí?”

“Yes -”

“And you planned to rush in alone and die alone without  _ anything _ changing? I thought you were smarter than that, Shimada.” Sombra's voice dropped as she growled at Hanzo, crossing her arms in disdain. 

Hanzo straightened up, surprised that this woman had the audacity to say such a thing to him. “You are so sure that I would die? I have survived for over a decade in a country where demons are hated -”

“You’ve survived by hiding. I’m not saying that was cowardly,” Sombra continued as she saw the oni open his mouth to argue, “but you were smart and recognized that you couldn’t fight all of your enemies alone. You still can’t do that now and none of us want you to either, idiota.” 

“I do not have to explain myself to you,” Hanzo snarled. 

“No, not me. But if you survived, you would have to explain yourself to everyone else here. How do you think your boyfriend would feel about being left behind?” Sombra moved from the doorway, allowing Hanzo to pass, but he remained in place. Sighing in frustration, he removed his hair tie from the arrow and pocketed it before placing the arrow back with its siblings in his quiver. Dropping all of his things as quietly as he could in his current state, he plodded back into the living room. 

McCree’s eyes fluttered open when Hanzo lay down on the mattress, smiling when he recognized his partner’s handsome features. “What kept you, darlin’?”

“I was just thinking.” 

“Don’t think too much; you might get cold feet,” Jesse teased. 

Hanzo’s eyes widened momentarily as once again the gunslinger read his mind. “Never,” he said with a small huff. “Go back to sleep,” he scolded, throwing his arm around Jesse and pulling him closer. 

“Gladly.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel woke them all a few hours later once the sun had set, the nudge of a boot their rough wake-up call as everyone blinked the sleep from their eyes. 

Hanzo had fallen asleep in his clothes from the day before, and noticed he was not alone as he looked around the room; only Hana and Olivia had changed, the former seemingly having lent her clothes to the latter. McCree let out a chuckle when he noticed, but Sombra just stuck her tongue out and flipped him the bird. The air was filled with nervous chatter as they all sat in the living room, sipping coffee from mugs that Hana had to keep refilling.

Shortly afterwards, they were on the road to Aomori. The conversation died again once they boarded the camper van, the big showdown inching ever closer. Jesse silently polished Peacekeeper on the floor as they drove, Jamie right next to him fiddling with what looked like a gigantic grenade - Hanzo did a double take at the strange metal contraption. It was nothing that he had seen on Junkrat's person before, more spherical than most of his bombs and about the size of a basketball. He vaguely knew its purpose, as it had been incorporated into their plan, but seeing the explosive in person was a whole other story.

The Australian must have felt like he was being watched because he looked up and locked eyes with Hanzo. His face had lost all of its usual carefree animation - In its place was a terrifying grin, Junkrat smiling at him with his teeth bared and a maniacal look in his eyes. Shivers ran down the oni's spine as he reminded himself to never anger the man before him - Hanzo could forget that this other side existed when Jamison Fawkes was his usual bubbly self. 

He decided to keep his eyes to himself after that, re-organizing his gear and filing various weapons away on his person. The time seemed to speed by as fast as the scenery outside, the landscape becoming more and more urban. Eventually the vehicle came to a stop, Gabriel pulling the keys from the ignition and turning to look at everyone. “We're here. Time to move. And don't forget the code names.”  
  



	25. Life and Death

The seven of them moved swiftly as they hurried through the parking garage and city streets, Olivia and Gabe taking the lead as they tried to mingle with the crowds as much as possible, only crossing the street to avoid police patrols. It was a blessing that their pictures had not been released to the public --ironically because of the ineffectual police system that the Shimadas wanted; it meant that they could act like an odd group of tourists as they neared the city’s inner sanctum.

The next corner that they turned revealed the Shimada mansion in all of its glory. Despite the elegance of the traditional construction, it truly did stand out amongst the new apartment buildings and skyscrapers that had become even more prominent after Hanzo had left.

_So predictable… This family really never was in touch with its surroundings._

“Does everyone have their map?” Hanzo instinctively opened the piece of paper in his pocket as Sombra’s voice reached his ears. The detailed drawing that he had managed to recall had been carefully copied and given to all of the day's crew, highlighted with points of interest and things to watch out for. He nodded at Sombra, who confirmed everyone's answers before smiling. “Good luck then, amigos.” She waved and turned to follow Reaper up the street towards the main gate. The others followed them a bit before turning off into a shadowed alleyway nearby. Junkrat began to unzip the duffel bag that Roadhog had been carrying, the same frightening smile still on his face. “Ready ta put those gaming skills to work, little miss D.va?”

The girl nodded silently. Junkrat looked up when he didn't get an audible response, his grin slipping from his face for a moment as he studied her. “You got this, darl’.” Hanzo blinked in surprise when he pulled Hana in for a kiss on the forehead, but couldn't help smiling when he saw her face lighten a bit.

“I know. Give me the controller, Junkrat.”

The explosives specialist handed her the controller as he opened the wings of a handcrafted drone. Strapped to the bottom of it was the device Hanzo had seen him tinkering with earlier. He watched as Hana began to move the controls, the drone lighting up as it rose into the sky. When it was out of sight, she looked up from the small screen. “Rawhide and Rabbit, now it's your turn.”

“Yes ma'am,” McCree agreed with a hat tip. “We’ll see you three soon.” Hanzo gave Hana a hug before following Jesse up the street.

“Did you know they were together?”

“I could tell for a little while now, yeah,” Jesse responded, his spurs jingling as he walked.

“Interesting.” Hanzo’s grip tightened on the strap of the case slung over his back.

“Hey, darlin’?”

“Yes, Rawhide?” Hanzo smiled as he looked at his feet.

“I love you, you know.”

It was all Hanzo could do to not stop walking in his tracks at the confession. _“What?”_

“I've been meaning to tell ya -”

 _“Why_ did you only tell me now?!” Hanzo glanced at his partner's face, confused and surprised and embarrassed.

“I'm not good with emotions either, Hanzo.” Jesse pulled his hat lower on his hat. “I'm sorry.”

Hanzo took McCree’s hand. “Do _NOT_ be sorry. I love you as well. And when all of this is over I will show you and tell you again and again.”

The anxious look in the gunslinger’s eyes faded away. “Well shucks, if that ain't something to look forward to.”

They walked in silence for a bit before there was a crackling in their earpieces. “Helllooo mates, the package will be arrivin’ shortly. I suggest you lot find somethin’ solid to hide behind before then.”

“Got it.” Reaper's muffled, low voice echoed over the comm link. “Sombra and I are ready and in position.”

“Us as well,” Hanzo confirmed. “Go ahead.”

“Alrighty then! See you all soon!” Junkrat was silent for a moment before he came on the line again, quieter and with more static. “Time to give the Shimadas a warm welcome, love!”

Hana's response was inaudible as a massive explosion blasted apart the main entrance to the mansion, the noise making Hanzo's ears ring despite the added protection. Citizens fled the destruction as Hanzo pulled his quiver and Stormbow from the case, Jesse drawing Peacekeeper and clicking off the safety. The pair moved into the smoking ruins, shattered glass and wood littering the streets. Hanzo was relieved to see that no unintended targets had been hit.

They ran past destroyed statues, through the wreckage of the main gates, and into the engawa. Most of the storm shutters of the outer corridor surrounding the house were shut ー That is, the ones left standing. Hanzo now stood in the lowered floor of the genkan, officially having entered his childhood home for the first time in over a decade. He took a moment, just a single minute of pause, to let the memories he had from this house wash over him.

Then Jesse was touching his shoulder, bringing Hanzo back to reality. Filled with determination, they pressed onward. The perimeter of the house was largely quiet, their shadows casting strange dark shapes of the shoji screens. He did not like the silence.

His oni reflexes were the only thing that saved him from a throwing knife flying through one of the screens, the paper letting out a hiss as the blade tore through it and past Hanzo’s throat. He didn’t have any time to warn McCree before the gunslinger fired off Peacekeeper, a wet thud emanating from behind the screen as the bullet landed in the guard. Bow drawn, Hanzo peered through the hole left to see a woman clutching at her neck where the bullet had hit her. “You missed,” he said to both people within earshot.

“Well shucks,” Jesse sighed. “I must be losing my touch.” He moved to stand next to Hanzo, who had his arm over the woman’s mouth. She was pretty, but the steely look in her eyes would not be attractive to anything. “Try to scream and he’ll rip your throat out before you can say anything.”

The muscles in Hanzo’s arm flexed as he adjusted his grip. “I know that you are not who I am looking for. Despite having some ability with a blade, you are just a part of my father’s harem.” He let a sinister smile curl the edges of his lips upwards. “I could overlook your attempt at my life if you can tell me where the clan elders are.”

He removed his hand but kept it inches away from her face. To her credit, the only sign of fear that the maid displayed was her slightly trembling arm. “They… have all moved to be closer to the baths. At their age, they don’t want to walk as much.”

That made sense ー The outer walls of those rooms which met the engawa were reinforced wood, and therefore were only accessible through the middle of the house. Hanzo smirked at the thought of the Shimada elders growing _lazy_ , so much so that they abandoned their own home to move in with the daimyo. “Interesting… Well, since you have proven to have a brain within that skull of yours, you can live.”

He turned to McCree, who gave him a hard eye roll. “Great, so I get stuck with the wannabe assassin.”

“Thank you, you’re the best.” Hanzo gave Jesse a hug and quick peck on the cheek before turning to continue inwards. He could hear his partner’s muttering behind him gradually fade as he ran silently down the hallway. When he came upon the sliding door that would lead him further into the house, he finally started to voices; nervous, anxious ones. Mostly female again, he guessed that these women would be similarly armed to the ones he had just encountered.

Breathing in deeply, allowing his form to swell just a bit, he pushed open the door. There were four women and two men huddled in the corner around the kotatsu, several visibly shaken. He noticed the glint of swords at the sides of the men, and surmised that they had chosen to hide rather than flee. Bow drawn, he approached them slowly. “Leave, and none of you will be hurt,” he commanded in Japanese. Hanzo circled them, gradually moving away from the door without ever letting them out of his sight. “Try anything and you will be speared to the wall before you can react.”

They obviously didn’t recognize the supposedly-dead Hanzo Shimada, as they were younger than him, but the crest visible on his robes spoke for itself. One of the women bolted first, the sounds of her feet hitting the floor the only noise in the room as she ran for her life. Hanzo growled again when no one else moved. “My patience is wearing thin. Do you not want to live?” He ever so slowly began to pull on the bowstring, which was apparently the final straw. The rest fled rapidly after that. He smirked at the fear he was able to instill in others, some part of him still enjoying the fearful respect ー That must be his Shimada heritage.

The next room Hanzo entered was one of the three kitchens, with a large irori in the center. The stone hearth set in to the floor was still warm, a large pot hanging from the metal jizaikagi attached to the ceiling. This had always been Genji’s favorite room in the house, the most social of the family always congregating here during meals. The oni’s heart hurt at the wretched memory and he growled in frustration. Through the comm link, he heard Gabriel’s voice.

“Where are you now, Rabbit?”

“I just entered one of the kitchens in the main house.”

“Well Sombra and I are here in one of the elder’s little shacks and we found that one of the cobardes speared himself. Sword through the stomach and everything.” Hanzo could hear Reaper moving the body as wet thuds and the shill scraping of metal came through the line.

“Did they think we would torture them?”

“I don’t know, but these guys have no fear of death. Just be careful.”

“Will do.”

Hanzo continued forward into the middle of the house, moving carefully. He came across another reinforced sliding door which marked one of the meeting rooms. Pressing his ear to it, he held his breath and listened. One, two, three, four, five voices all speaking in hushed whispers - all male. Now he was encountering the family’s guard. He removed his robe and tossed it aside, leaving Hanzo with just the black hakama pants around his waist. The disowned heir took a deep breath as he began to shift his form, his hand growing around his bow until it looked laughable in his grip. He drew it regardless, taking care to not slice the bowstring with his talons. Hooking the corner of his door with his foot, Hanzo flung open the door. Locking on to the first person he noticed, Hanzo let the arrow fly as it landed in the center of his target’s head, piercing through first the eye socket and then the back of the skull.

Immediately he was met with a spray of bullets and shouting in Japanese. He rolled to dodge all of the projectiles, feeling the air shift as they whizzed by him. As Hanzo completed the movement he pulled a knife from one of the bags at his side, expertly tossing it at another guard. When it connected with the man’s chest, however, he did not slump to the ground like most targets. Instead, he grinned and simply pulled on the handle of the weapon, the blade completely clean as it glinted in the light. Hanzo cursed at the careless assumption that the guards wouldn’t be wearing any sort of armor; that meant he had to attack very differently. He placed his Stormbow on the ground at his side before running at the remaining guards, zigzagging to dodge the bullets. He heard the clicking of an empty barrel, and shifted his course towards the unlucky target. To his credit, the guard threw the assault rifle aside rather than trying to reload it, drawing a sword from a sheath on his back. He ran at Hanzo, blade drawn.

At the last second before they connected, the oni dove for the man’s feet. With several hundred pounds of muscle crashing into his legs, the Shimada lackey hit the ground. The wind knocked out of him, he released the sword from the grip, causing it to skid across the floor. Hanzo drew two more throwing knives and twisted to look behind him, his target scrabbling to get up. When he threw the projectiles for a second time, he connected with the man’s ankles. Slicing through the tendons above his heel, the guard screamed as he collapsed. Hanzo’s satisfaction was short lived when a bullet sunk about six inches into his torso, snapping him out of his moment.

He snarled and rushed the other offender, tackling the man to the ground. The guard's smirk disappeared when Hanzo snapped his neck, his hands falling from his gun. The oni pulled it towards him and grabbed another clip of ammunition before jumping off of the body to avoid another sword strike. He managed to reload the rifle while dodging more attacks, his nimble body bending in every way possible. Holding down the trigger, Hanzo directed a spray of bullets towards the last two guards, leaving them and the wall full of holes. Tossing the gun aside, he picked up Stormbow and carefully notched another arrow. On his way out, the archer crushed the windpipe of the first attacker who had been trying to pull himself out of the room. Before he could leave, he bumped into Junkrat, Roadhog, and Jesse. All of them reflexively drew their weapons before recognition kicked in, causing them all to laugh in embarrassment.

“How's it goin’, mate? Seems like you haven't had too much trouble.”

“They are wearing better armor than I expected, but other than that I have had little difficulty dealing with anyone so far.”

“Looks like one got a shot off on you, though.” Hanzo watched McCree's eyes travel down his form. Glancing down, he noticed that the hole in his torso had started to bleed.

He shifted a bit, and shrugged when he was confident that it hadn't nicked any organs or blood vessels. “It's not an issue.” He wished that Jesse would stop looking at him like that, though; that _was_ an issue. Now in touch with his more… primal side, Hanzo wasn't sure how long he could remain focused if this continued. And he could _very_ easily tear the gunslinger apart if they got down and dirty. That would not be good.

“D.va is watching that sheila who Rawhide shot - Ain't happy about it, but I wouldn't miss an excuse ta get her off the battlefield.”

Hanzo's eyes snapped from watching McCree to Jamison. “That's good; thank you. I feel she could be valuable.”

Jesse finally shifted his gaze, the moment past. “Yeah, she said the elders had moved. Maybe if we find some of them in one spot we could use your tire, Junkrat.”

Jamie cackled. “That's what it's for, ya drongo! I'll paint the walls with their worthless guts.”

Roadhog sighed and pushed his companion forward. “Then let's move.”

 

* * *

 

 

The four of them bumped into Reaper and Sombra inside, the pair having torn a passage through the walls with some of the Blackwatch leader’s equipment. Gabriel was recognizable - Dressed in all black, he wore a long, armored coat over a thick chest protector. A shotgun was in each of his gloved hands, with more weapons slung over his shoulder - They almost seemed endless. When he spoke, his voice echoed from the mask covering his face.

“I’ve heard a lot of screaming in my ear since we got here. I hope it wasn’t any of you.”

Everyone shook their heads. Jamison scoffed at the very thought. “I would never scream because of some wanka shooting at me - I _might_ only scream if I was having a real good root -”

Roadhog smacked the blonde Australian on the back of the head, letting out a disappointed huff. Hanzo and McCree couldn’t help but smile briefly at the exchange. Sombra just rolled her eyes and Reaper growled. “Well, it seems like you don’t need us anymore, so we’re going to grab D.va and then I can take this shit off.”

“Of course,” Hanzo said with a nod. “We can take it from here.” The pair departed quickly, leaving the four men alone once again. They moved towards the sound of running water just barely audible beneath the screams of pedestrians, moving towards the baths where the elders supposedly could be found. The oni’s sharp ears could make out their familiar voices, even just the sounds alone threatening to bring up painful memories. He had the others stay back as he slowly approached, rolling the wooden door open ever so slightly. Sure enough, eight of the ten elders were soaking in the large bath, seemingly without a care in the world. Hanzo rolled his eyes and stalked back to the others, scowling.

“Can you show me how to control your explosive device, Junkrat?” Hanzo extended a large hand and frowned when Jamie hesitated, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Watch the claws, Rabbit.”

Hanzo huffed and focused his attention on his hands momentarily. The claws retracted into his fingertips, now leaving him with normal hands that were the size of Mako’s. He was handed the controller as Junkrat removed the rip tire from the harness on his back, handling it with a surprising lack of care for its explosive nature. He pulled a cord on the device, causing it to spring to life. Cackling, he moved towards the door and readied his grip on the handle.

“Alright, cobber,” Jamison whispered, “this thing basically handles like a video game controller. Pushin’ that stick moves this beaut in the same direction, and the big red button makes a pretty explosion; got it?”

Hanzo nodded, his fingers hovering over the ramshackle remote. Junkrat gave another wicked grin as he pulled the door open. The tire shot forward as Hanzo’s oversized hands steered it towards the now-panicking elders. Seeing many of them draw guns of their own, he slammed his palm down on the detonation button. The reaction was instantaneous; water, glass, metal and wood flew everywhere as the rooms exploded in a bright yellow and white flash, bodies blown to pieces. Then, several smaller, secondary explosions followed the initial blast, spreading the shrapnel further and pushing pieces into the flesh of the party. Hanzo entered warily after waiting for any other delayed reactions, his scaled feet clicking across the debris as he walked. As he approached, he could see the source of the additional detonations: pieces of about four grenades were mixed in with the rubble, obviously a hidden line of defense meant to damage any attackers that strayed too close. Hanzo's lip curled in contempt, amazed that these people had not changed since he had left.

But he chose not to dwell on it, instead just checking to make sure everyone was dead before ushering his companions into the room. Hanzo took a deep breath.

“Past this room is the central courtyard. In the center, there is a gate that prevents entry to an underground safe house. That is where we will find the current head of this horrid family.”  

No one responded, just followed Hanzo as he pushed open the door and stepped out onto the grass. Handing his bow towards Jesse, he stepped towards the modern steel gate barring the front of the elevator and looked back at Roadhog. “Would you be so kind as to help me lift this?”

“Sure.” The hulking oni stomped towards Hanzo, his transformed body dwarfing the short archer’s. They reached down to break away some of the cement beneath the door, allowing the demons to slip their hands underneath the thick metal. With a terrible screeching sound, the barrier slowly lifted as the thick metal buckled from the inhuman strength.

They all slipped inside of the as Jesse handed Hanzo his bow, squeezing his arm. “You’ve got this, darlin’.” The elevator automatically descended, opening into a concrete bunker. It had all the furnishings present in the estate, and enough manpower to halt most intruders; surrounding Hanzo’s father and his sole advisor were a dozen guards, all armed to the teeth.

His father, whose composure was impeccable, started to sweat ever so slightly. “Well... Hanzo. I am surprised that you are alive. I would never have thought that this intrusion was your doing.”

“I am surprised that you recognize me... Atashi Shimada, _father_. I have changed significantly since I left.”

“I see that.”

Hanzo stepped forward. The Shimada guards stepped forward to match him. The air in the room felt thick enough to slice, but Hanzo never wavered. “Relinquish your reign of this family and you can live. Your time to rule has come to an end. You have disgraced our family and manipulated those who look up to us.”

Atashi held a hand to his mouth to stifle a chuckle. “What a sharp tongue you have. It is a shame I did not cut it out long ago.”

Hanzo snarled and lunged forward, his friends by his side. Jesse managed to get a shot off before the guards raised their shields, causing the man to hiss in pain and reflexively drop his gun. The oni shifted to rush him, grabbing the sides of the barrier as they grappled for a moment. Eventually, he was able to wrench it out of the man's grip, throwing it like a discus with all his might. It collided with the head of a guard firing at Jamison, the resounding thud something that would make most people wince in sympathy. Junkrat took the opportunity to shove one of his grenades into the guard's chest armor, the pin in the Australian’s teeth as he dove out of the way. The resulting explosion caused chunks of mangled flesh to splatter anyone nearby, blood flying everywhere.

Hanzo tackled the guard in front of him before he had a chance to draw a bomb of his own, pinning him to the floor with his weight. Sharp claws tore into the fabric covering the guard's neck and the delicate skin beneath it, the blood vessels sliced to bits. Hanzo's vision was momentarily painted red as the warm fluid covered his face. He shook his head and looked up at his surroundings, blinking.

He saw a shimmering outline in the shape of his father slowly rise from behind the table and throw a glowing ball in Jesse's direction, who seemed focused on something in the distance as his mouth moved wordlessly. The mirage faded when Hanzo blinked again. He pushed himself off of the body as bullets sunk into his flesh. Next to him, Roadhog snapped the neck of a guard in his oversized hands, throwing the body towards a guard harassing McCree. The dead weight toppled the other man, allowing Jesse to finally aim his revolver for a fatal shot, placing the barrel directly against one of the gaps in the chest armor.

Hanzo grabbed a throwing knife from his side and threw it at yet another man who had moved to attack Roadhog. The blade sliced through the skin of the back of his knees, severing the straps of the armor pads and the tendons. His legs buckled as he collapsed, fruitlessly trying to stand. Junkrat hobbled towards him, cackling. A small bomb in one hand, he pulled open the jaw of the screaming guard. Then he pushed it closed, the man's teeth clacking together with the force.

“Don’t forget to smile, ya drongo!” Jamison cackled, ignoring the trio of bullets that punctured his torso and legs.

Jesse lunged forward towards the explosives specialist. “Junkrat, fucking pay attention!” Hanzo noticed that McCree noticed the guard approaching their companion from the side, but he apparently didn't; Jamie was too busy watching his victim spasm in pain as whatever device he had placed in the guard's mouth detonated, smoke starting to flow from his nostrils and parted lips.

Struck with a sudden sense of deja vú, he turned to see the upper body of his father peek out from behind the barricade. Time seemed to slow as Atashi pulled the pin on the grenade, the projectile arcing towards Jesse. Hanzo dashed forward, intersecting the weapon. Junkrat finally turned around as the archer caught the live bomb in his hands, eyes widening. He tossed it away as quickly as possible, randomly hurling the grenade at three guards in the corner. They tried to dive out of the way but were too slow ー Their bodies exploded, the pieces unrecognizable as they joined the others.

Jesse laughed nervously. “Well I guess I owe you again, Han!” Hanzo snorted wordlessly in reply as he rolled behind cover, his partner in tow. He nocked an arrow, peeking his head out in between the volley of bullets to aim another perfect shot. McCree fired at the same time from beside him, another two guards falling simultaneously. Additional firepower joined the fray as Atashi would fire from behind his makeshift cover. The bullets sprayed wildly as he blindly pulled the trigger; Hanzo would have laughed if he was not scowling from the pain.

Junkrat managed to corner another poor fool, having tried to hide behind a large armchair for better protection. Not even bothering with his grenades anymore, Jamie threw a concussion mine behind the barrier, the device expertly sliding across the floor. More pink and red entrails splattered across the wall when he pressed the detonator.

The last guard tried to retreat towards his superiors, but Roadhog snagged his waist with his oversized hook, the metal piercing the thick body armor. He crushed the man's skull in his oversized hand, the bone buckling.

 

* * *

 

 

Now there was only one person left: the worthless man responsible for it all. His torso shaking in pain, Hanzo took a moment to breathe before moving forward with his friends.

“Atashi, this is your last fucking chance. Step down from your throne and maybe I will let you rot in jail instead of slicing your throat open."

Jesse rested his prosthetic hand on his partner’s shoulder, Peacekeeper still at the ready. “Don’t even offer him that, Hanzo. Your scumbag father is not leaving this room alive ─ It’s just a matter of how excruciating his last moments are.”

And yet even with his friends around him, Hanzo still felt incredibly uneasy. Maybe it was the way his body had been conditioned over the decades he lived in this horrible household, but the ruler of the Shimada family still inspired fear. Regardless, the oni drew his bow once again, trying to ignore the feeling that he was missing something important. McCree shot at one of the arms holding the assault rifle over the barrier, the hand releasing from the trigger as the flesh was torn apart. Atashi cursed and stumbled out from behind the toppled furniture, giving a pained smile as he locked eyes with his son. “I will never let you take over this family, traitor. If my time is over, then our bloodline’s time to rule is also over.”

Hanzo released the arrow, watching it fly towards his father, seeing a moment of fear when the older Shimada saw the end of his life flash before his eyes, but the oni did not see his most important shot connect with its target. Instead, he felt a searing pain like his chest was exploding, vaguely hearing screaming and a booming sound as everything went black.


	26. Katabasis

When Hanzo Shimada stirred, he was surrounded by nothing but a cold, empty, white landscape; there were no objects, no buildings, no discernable features at all. The oni tried to stand, but fell back onto his knees, gasping, an immense pain blossoming within his ribcage. He grimaced, the pain worse than any he could remember. 

Hanzo wasn’t sure how long he stayed in that position, his chest heaving as he tried to breathe and his form gradually receding as his energy faded. Eventually, he felt the room grow slightly warmer. 

“How are you faring, student?”

The archer choked out a gasp when he recognized the voice. Looking up, he saw Zenyatta hovering off of the ground a few feet in front of him. There was no evidence of the monk’s violent end; there was only a slight yellow glow around his metal body, but it did not seem to give off any heat. 

“Zenyatta! You are not hurt... how?”

The Omnic extended a hand, Hanzo grasping the appendage as he struggled to get up. The pain had subsided just enough for him to move, but it was just bearable. 

“I was never in pain,” Zenyatta reassured him, “so do not worry about me too much. I am satisfied with the circumstances surrounding my death; it is not always that one gets to make such an impact in their final moments.”

Hanzo bowed his head slightly as he released the helping hand from his grip. “So you have not returned to us as I had hoped.”

“I have not, I apologize. However, do not allow yourself to dwell on this. Come, take a walk with me instead.”

Hanzo nodded and followed the monk despite his reservations. They seemed to be walking in no particular direction until his sharp eyes could see a figure on the horizon. His heart began to beat a bit faster in his chest for a moment. 

Any hopes of his were dashed when he saw the way the man carried himself, the stiff posture and slicked back hair that were never present in his brother. 

“Atashi. Why are you here?” Saying his father’s name made Hanzo feel sick, and he certainly did not deserve the respect, but it was better than using an affectionate title like “father”. 

The Shimada lord turned to face his son, his features a mix of his usual disdain and unusual surprise. “That is an astoundingly dumb question coming from the mouth of my firstborn son who led a plot to assassinate me in my own home.”

Hanzo's cheeks flushed in embarrassment the way they always did when his father used to scold him. Atashi had never had the same effect on Genji, who would just laugh it off, but perhaps on some subconscious level the older brother cared what their father thought of him. 

“Well,” Hanzo retorted, “if you managed to kill me after all, then I was not as successful as I had hoped to be.” He tried not to think about the fact that he was probably dead, but his anxiety was terribly persistent. 

“Sadly, Yuzu obviously didn't do a very good job if you're being guided around this borderland. The fact that this robot can see you and interact with you is odd enough, but the fact that our paths crossed is incredibly unlikely.”

“I do not understand.”

“Of course not, because you never made it to that lesson; this is a proving ground where misguided humans have the chance to repent for their sins and wrongdoings. But you cannot do anything, you cannot see anyone… Some people just wander around, calling out for others, but of course you never see them, or they you -- All you know is the voice.”

“You don't deserve to be here,” Hanzo snarled. “What redeeming qualities do you possess?”

Atashi shrugged, one of the most human gestures he had made for a while. “I do not know. All I have realized is that someone has to be the bad guy and the scapegoat for the world to function.” 

When Hanzo failed to respond, Zenyatta placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “In some ways, your father was the victim of an imperfect society just like you were. Do you have anything to say to him before we go?”

The Shimada heir looked into the cold, calculating eyes of his father. “I wish you luck on your journey. In some ways I feel sorry that ours clashed so violently.” He gave a small bow, which he was surprised to receive. 

“Do not allow it to occupy too much of your thoughts, I have not been the same man since your mother’s death. In some ways, I too am regretful.” Atashi Shimada fell silent for a moment, seeming as if he might say something else, but apparently decided against it and just quietly walked off in the way that Hanzo and Zenyatta had come. 

As they continued onwards, the pair came across many of the guards that had fallen along the way. The emotions of the men and women were a mix of anger, sadness, and regret. Most of them, Hanzo realized, had not understood the nature of the organization that they worked for -- He felt pity for them at the very least. He tried not to think that they too might have had loved ones, families, people waiting for their return… Thankfully, it seemed that the whispers of the Shimada clan were most appealing to those who didn't have any place left to go or anyone else to turn to, but Hanzo still felt the heavy weight of all the lives he had taken. The burn in his chest seemed to flare with each pang of guilt, every regret he had and every atrocity he had committed slowly building towards his inevitable demise. He wondered why he was even here after what he did to Genji. 

Genji…

It was almost like he could see his brother's smiling face in front of his eyes, the image perfectly rendered in Hanzo’s mind as he walked and stared at the featureless white ground. 

He harbored many regrets, but none came close to the level of raw emotion surrounding the memories of that painful night. He could still hear the voice of his younger sibling echoing in his mind-

“Hanzo, please forgive yourself. I forgive you.”

Hanzo couldn't do that. Even if it was what his mind brother wanted for him, it was not what the firstborn son of Atashi Shimada deserved. He deserved hell-

“Hanzo, listen to me.”

The archer grit his teeth, startling as a warm hand rested on his shoulder. He instinctively jumped back when his eyes connected with his brother's. This young, carefree Genji looked exactly like Hanzo remembered: Bright green hair that rivaled the color of his eyes, fair skin slightly colored from his outdoor adventures, accompanied by a dazzling, warm smile. He was nothing like the angry man that had stood before Hanzo on the night of their fallout.

“Genji…” Hanzo moved forward, reaching out to grab his brother's arm. 

When the younger sibling did in fact seem to be solid and not an illusion, the Shimada brothers embraced for the first time in over a decade as Hanzo pulled his younger sibling close to his chest.

“Whyareyouhere?” Hanzo barely managed to form a coherent thought, let alone words, as emotion filled his brain, his heart, his tongue. 

Yet somehow Genji understood the garbled mess of a question, still not leaving his brother's arms. “Well,” he explained, “you are not the only one with regrets, aniki.”

Hanzo finally pulled away to study his brother's face. “What could you possibly regret? You were a shining star, and I -”

“I cursed you when you attacked me, Hanzo. You have figured out that much, I know. But what you don't know is how much I wish I hadn't done such a thing. I have watched how it tortures you, how it even threatened to ruin one of your most important relationships.”

Hanzo laughed bitterly - dryly - scoffing at Genji's words. “You had every reason to wish upon me a fate worse than death. I prevented you from experiencing the joys that life has to offer.”

Genji narrowed his intelligent eyes slightly. “It is good to hear that you are growing more familiar with the joys of the world. It is something you deprived yourself of for a while.”

“I am torn,” Hanzo admitted, “between enjoying the world as I know you would wish, and feeling as if I should punish myself and do otherwise.”

“I'll hopefully make the choice easier for you then.” Genji moved forward, placing a hand on his chest over his brother's heart. Immediately, the searing pain and throbbing disappeared, and even the dull ache faded eventually. Seemingly pleased with himself, he stepped back to analyze his brother. “Your time now will be a bit shorter than what you had grown to anticipate, so hopefully it will make things a bit more precious.”

“Genji? What did you do?”

“You are just a normal human again now, brother, so be careful. Don't get into too much trouble... Maybe just settle down with that gunslinger, alright?” 

Hanzo tried to wipe away the stubborn tears which were streaming down his face despite his best efforts. He was not very successful, and was sure he looked like a mess. “You are too good to me, Genji…”

“The best way to make it up to me is to live enough for both of us. If you're happy, I'm happy. It's this stupid thing called being related.” Genji’s grin exploded into laughter when his older sibling tried to return the smile. “Besides- You look like shit. Maybe you'd get laid more often if you didn't have a resting bitch face and weren't whining all of the time.”

Now it was Hanzo's turn to laugh despite himself, the mood contagious. Zenyatta watched their uproar quietly. 

When it had finally subsided, he politely addressed the two reunited brothers. “As rewarding and heart-warming as this is to watch, I think it is time for your older brother to return to the world of the living, young one; it is his turn to lead.”

“Of course,” Genji agreed, “we both knew this day would come and it couldn't be under any better circumstances.”

“What about you?”

“I can pass on now, but I'll still be watching you. Don't be sad, aniki... And certainly don't do anything I wouldn't.”

“That’s a very short list.” Hanzo thought back to a very similar conversation he had with Jesse and his father and chuckled.

“Exactly. Now go, your gunslinger is waiting for you.” 

Hanzo pulled his sibling in for another hug, a shorter one this time. He couldn't bear to start crying again, so he finally -ever so slowly- peeled himself off of his younger brother. “Farewell for now, otouto.” The affectionate title sounded foreign on his tongue, but Genji smiled as Zenyatta placed a hand on Hanzo's shoulder.

“We will see you again, student. But for now your business remains unfinished.”

Hanzo nodded as he thought of how worried the others must be. The world seemed to grow brighter as he did, until for a split second the archer saw, heard, and felt nothing.   
  


* * *

 

 

Then he gradually started to hear a voice; it started out fuzzy, but he could begin to make out someone crying. He felt a pain in his chest again, but it was more of a dull throb than an unbearable burn. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the light. He could make out a familiar face above his, and smiled weakly when he recognized Jesse's handsome features.

The gunslinger inhaled sharply as his partner stirred. “Holyfuckwethoughtyouweredead-” He fell silent when Hanzo raised a hand to cup the side of his face. 

“Of course not,” the archer chuckled. “You won't get rid of me that easily.”

“Jamie would be so happy to hear you stealing his line,” McCree said with a weak smile. “You gave us a mighty fucking scare.”

Hanzo sat up, realizing that he was inside the group's newly purchased camper van on one of the bunk beds. “Where is he? And the others?”

“Everyone agreed I should be the first one to get to say goodbye, but I'm so glad -”

“I won't leave you, Jesse. I love you.”

“I know, I love you too,” the gunslinger choked out as he wiped his eyes, “but yer tattoos disappeared and you seemed so weak, I didn't feel a pulse or anythin’..”

Hanzo slowly sat up, feeling the shifting of bandages around his midsection as he inspected his arms. Sure enough, the flesh was devoid of any markings that once signified his curse. “My brother kept his promise,” he observed.

“You saw Genji? Where?  _ How _ ?”

“It is a long story I will explain later. For now, I hope it is enough for me to tell you that I am only what I should be.” 

McCree's face turned pale as his jaw dropped open. “No way.”

“Way.”

Jesse give his partner a long, gentle, warm kiss on the lips as he smiled despite himself. “I can't believe this.”

Hanzo was about to respond as the door burst open to reveal Hana, all of the others clustered behind her. The two instinctively jumped at the sudden intrusion. 

“Holy fuck, McCree, are you Prince Charming or something?!” The petite girl fell to her knees and gave Hanzo a gentle hug as the others filed in.

“Jesse most certainly isn't -”

“Cut me some slack, Gabe, I like to think I'm pretty great… But no, this was all his brother's doing.”

“Well if I've ever known someone who deserves ta be blessed, I guess it's you, mate.” Jamie gave Hanzo a warm grin. “I don't even pretend ta know how this happened, but we're glad you're back.” 

Hanzo patted Hana's head as he chuckled. “Thank you, Jamison. I certainly feel blessed; I'll be able to live out the rest of my days completely human, just as I had wanted.”

Roadhog grunted, his normal bulk still barely fitting into the automobile. “Good, this form didn't look good on you.” He held up a hand to silence the archer, who had opened his mouth to speak. “Don't apologize, I like it.”

“Roadie always liked being strong,” Jamie explained. “And it doesn't get much better than bein’ a demon!”

Olivia had watched quietly until then, just observing the situation. “It's good that  _ pendejo _ aimed for your chest, then. If he had put a hole in your head, this story might have ended differently.”

Hanzo nodded, remembering the end of the fight. He now knew why something had felt wrong: in the heat of the moment, they had failed to account for Yuzu - one of the younger, silver-tongued elders that Genji had nicknamed “Kudzu” after the invasive plant. It must have been him who had dealt the last blow. “Where is he?”

“Currently detained along with everyone else we found,” Gabriel answered. “Most of them seem happy to testify against your father's bullshit if it means they get the chance to live, but I get the feeling he might take awhile to come around -- if he ever does.” 

Hanzo nodded, surprised that the Shimada elder had even allowed himself to be apprehended and thrown in prison. “The public is not aware of who started the attack, though, correct?”

Sombra nodded. “Sí. All you have to do now is make some elaborate, partially-true speeches about what happened and then pardon your friends after you accept your rightful title.”

“I cannot thank you all enough,” Hanzo murmured with a sigh of relief.  “I could not have done this on my own.”

“We know. Don't think you'll just get off scott-free with some nice words,” Gabriel cut in. “You sure as hell owe us some favors.”

Hanzo chuckled at the man's stern tone. “Of course, if I did not express my gratitude then I would be no better than my father. I will make sure you all are satisfied, but I would appreciate the chance to rest first, since now that I am no longer a demon  _ I will take awhile to heal _ .” The archer pointedly started at Jesse as he added the last bit. 

“Fine, fine. We'll get you to see Angie and then I'll let you relax at home... for a bit.” 

Everyone laughed, relieved that the time for worry was over. Their plan has been successful, and they were all there in the camper van as Gabriel began the drive back to Mutsu and then eventually Kazamura. Hanzo fell asleep in Jesse's lap as he dreamt of a normal human life with the man he loved; it was the first time in years that he was able to see himself being happy. He smiled, feeling the love and forgiveness of his brother and his partner and the warmth of the friendships he never thought he'd make. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now, folks! 
> 
> I might add an epilogue to this at some point, but am not sure yet.


End file.
